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What is harassment?

There are two distinct criminal offences, one of harassment putting people in fear of violence and one without. Stalking is a similar but separate offence and is not covered in this article. What does it involve? There has to be a course of conduct involving as little as two incidents against another person or […]

Inadmissible confessions

The 2015 documentary series Making a Murderer follows the story of two men from Wisconsin who were convicted of sexually assaulting and murdering a woman. One of the convicted was an impressionable teenager called Brendan Dassey. Dassey’s conviction was overturned in 2016 (confirmed on appeal in 2017) on the basis that his ‘confession’ to the […]

Focus on ‘Dangerous Dogs’

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee’s report ‘Controlling dangerous dogs’ calls for a full-scale review of current dog control legislation and policy to better protect the public. The report was published on 17 October 2018. Is there a problem? According to the Committee, yes. In 1991 the Dangerous Dogs Act outlawed certain breeds/types […]

Publishing, or having for publication for gain, an obscene article

Prosecuting those who publish obscene articles (an offence under section 2 of the Obscene Publications Act 1959) is hardly prudish, despite what certain commentators would argue. The maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment will frequently be warranted for activities which have disturbing and harmful knock-on effects. Laws of this type remind us that free-speech and […]

Can I get a reduced sentence by helping the police?

You may have heard about ‘texts’ or a ‘Brown envelope to the Judge’, some of the names for the old system. If you helped the police a ‘text’ may be handed to the sentencing judge explaining that you had assisted and a reduction in sentence may have followed. It was a murky world, clouded in […]

Solicitor – A Brand That You Can Trust

A solicitor is there to help advise you on the law, to guide you through difficult times, explain, advise and represent you. But who tells us what to do and ensures that you receive a proper service? The Solicitors Regulation Authority The SRA regulate solicitors and law firms in England and Wales, but what does […]

Companies and Bribery

Section 7 of the Bribery Act 2010 makes it an offence for a company to bribe another with the intent of obtaining or retaining business or to gain an advantage in business. The first conviction after trial for an offence under this section was that of Skansen Interiors Ltd who were convicted of failing to […]

Contempt of Court

The case of Tommy Robinson, or to give him his real name, Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, has brought this issue into the public eye, but what is it all about? What is contempt of court? The interesting thing about contempt of court is the many ways in which it can be committed. It can be civil […]

Private Probation Providers Fail Offenders and Society

A few years ago, the National Probation Service was split into two. The existing service maintained its supervision of high-risk offenders, mainly those serving lengthy sentences or with complex rehabilitation needs, the remaining offenders, by far the vast majority, are supervised by companies which bid to carry out rehabilitation work, with payment mechanisms often linked […]

Is being sexist or misogynist a crime?

The answer is sometimes, but not always. Two years ago, Nottinghamshire Police decided to label misogyny and offences targeting women as hate crime or hate incidents. Two local universities recently undertook a report entitled “The Misogyny Hate Crime Evaluation” report which recommends rolling out the policy nationally. Misogyny hate crime is defined as “incidents against […]