Blog
Kingsley Napley’s Medical Negligence Team ‘walks together’ with the Dame Vera Lynn Children’s Charity
Sharon Burkill
23 August 2018
PACE under review: no excuse for failing to maintain the dignity of those held in custody
On 21 August 2018, the Home Office launched a consultation in respect of further revisions to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) Codes of Practice. While the consultation period is no surprise (it is a statutory requirement), it is breath-taking that such basic standards of decency need to be introduced to the minimum standards of treatment for detained individuals.
7 August 2018
Unduly lenient sentences: a numbers game
Yesterday, the Attorney General’s Office issued a press release “More victims and their families get justice.” This is based on an assessment of Unduly Lenient Sentence Referral Scheme overseen by the Attorney General. While the statistics may be headline grabbing, further analysis suggests the system is in need of reform.
27 July 2018
Disclosure of Evidence in Criminal Cases – time to restore fairness in the criminal justice system
On 20 July 2018, the House of Commons Justice Committee released their report on the Disclosure of Evidence in Criminal Cases. Matthew Hardcastle, an Associate in our Criminal Litigation team, acted as a specialist advisor to the Committee during this inquiry.
26 July 2018
The death penalty: do we, or do we not, oppose it?
“I put it to Ministers that they cannot be a little bit in favour of the death penalty”. So said Diane Abbott in the Commons on Tuesday. This was during an aggressive Q&A session which followed her urgent question to the Home Secretary asking for a statement clarifying the UK’s stance on the death penalty. The question was asked following the already infamous leaked letter written by the UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid to the US Attorney General Jeff Sessions in relation to the request from the US for evidence to assist with proceedings against Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh, the remaining members of the Isis cell known as ‘The Beatles’.
24 July 2018
New police training indicates authorities believe cryptocurrency is here to stay
Earlier this month, the Lord Chancellor David Gauke confirmed that a new 18 courtroom legal centre is to be built on the site of Fleetbank House in London which will focus on issues such as economic crime (including fraud) and cyber crime. Due to be established in 2025, this “state-of-the-art court” is to give the message to the world that Britain “stands ready to deal with the changing nature of 21st century crime”.