Sentencing Academy report on ‘Sentencing and ethnicity’
The Sentencing Academy has produced a report reviewing ethnicity and custodial sentencing trends from 2009 to 2019. Over the years, several official reports have addressed the role of race and ethnicity in sentencing decisions. The current report looked at sentencing patterns for different offender profiles with two key issues that emerged. The first was ethnic disproportionality, and the...Read More
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Parole Board Hearings – Public Scrutiny
Currently, all parole hearings are held in private – this is set out in legislation in the Parole Board Rules. Following a consultation exercise, the government has now committed to opening up the hearings and allowing public access. Legislative change is expected in the next few months. The government has stated that: ‘…we are persuaded that the current blanket ban in legislation...Read More
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Covid 19 Lockdown – the law; What can and can’t you do?
This article was posted in March 2020, shortly after the initial restrictions were imposed. There has been much confusion about what you can and cannot do during the current lockdown. The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020 imposes several restrictions. Since the lockdown began last week, the police have been keen to enforce compliance, even calling out the...Read More
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Emergency Coronavirus Laws Now in Force
This article was posted in March 2020, shortly after the initial changes came into force. On Wednesday 25th March 2020 the Coronavirus Bill completed all its parliamentary stages, and Royal Assent was signified. This brings in to force an unprecedented piece of emergency legislation. The purpose of the Coronavirus Act is to enable the Government to respond to an emergency situation and manage...Read More
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Covid 19 and Business Closure – Legal Obligations
This article was posted in March 2020, shortly after the initial restrictions were imposed. At 2 pm on Saturday 21 March 2020, the Government introduced further measures to help fight the Covid 19 pandemic. A law came into force which forced the closure of some businesses. On 23rd March, the Government announced further measures, closing a number of other businesses. This law was enacted by...Read More
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Child murder and knife crime to the fore of the election battle
We are in the midst of a general election, so it is perhaps not surprising that hot ‘law and order’ topics, such as knife crime, are featuring in the news as the main political parties fight for the popular vote. It is worthwhile taking a brief look at some of the recent announcements, and seeing what is not receiving attention. Child murder The Conservatives propose changes where...Read More
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Sentencing – Breaking the Code
Few people would disagree with the suggestion that sentencing law in England and Wales is a complete mess. The provisions that govern how a defendant is to be sentenced are both complex and disparate. They are also found across a significant number of statutes. Why does this matter? Research has shown that thousands of sentencing errors are made each year, with many going completely...Read More
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Mental Health, the Criminal Law and Sentencing
Mental Health is a complicated business. Conditions are not easy to diagnose, doctors can disagree on which disorder a person is suffering from, or even if they have a mental health condition at all. Those with mental disorders might have specific needs in court on top of those of the typical defendant. That’s if they’re mentally well enough to stand trial at all, or if the CPS deems it is in...Read More
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Who Guards the Guards?
This perennial question was back in the news following a ministry of justice announcement that further steps would be taken to root out dishonest prison officers and others working in custodial institutions. A new counter-corruption unit will be tasked with ‘proactively pursuing those suspected of corrupt activity in prison and probation services across England and Wales.’ The unit...Read More
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Policing Public Protest – A Question of Balance
Environmental protests across London in recent days have caused massive disruption and are set to spread across other towns and cities over the coming weeks and months. Public protest has always been a legitimate and important part of the democratic process and is enshrined in law. But, how do the police balance the right to protest as against the rights of other people to go about their...Read More
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