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Europol EU Drugs Report The EU retail drug market is estimated to be worth more than EUR 30 billion annually, making it a major source of income for organised crime. Europe occupies a central position in drug supply and trafficking, as evidenced by the large-scale production of cannabis and synthetic drugs within the EU and […]
Justice on a Budget. The Spring Budget was delivered by the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt on the 6th March 2024 and offered little by way of comfort so far as the criminal justice system is concerned. Overall departmental spending is said to rise by 1%, but this is not evenly spread, with protected spending, such as on […]
New Prisoner Rules 2024. The Prison and Young Offender Institution (Adjudication) (Amendment) Rules 2024 come into force on 31 May 2024 and will make several important changes concerning prisoner discipline and punishment. These changes are intended to improve behaviour management in prisons by ensuring serious offences against discipline are appropriately charged and providing governors with […]
Blackmail, Kidnap and False Imprisonment – new sentencing proposals Draft guidelines for sentencing offenders convicted of blackmail, kidnap or false imprisonment, were published by the independent Sentencing Council. Under the proposals judges will, for the first time, have dedicated guidelines to follow when sentencing these offences. The new guidelines will ensure that the courts are […]
Pre-recorded Evidence in Sexual Offence Cases. Newly published research suggests that pre-recorded evidence in chief and cross-examation, often referred to as “section 28 evidence”, may be more advantageous to the accused than live evidence given in court before a jury. Conviction rates are reported to be 10% lower when this type of evidence is used […]
Serious Violence Reduction Orders. Serious Violence Reduction Orders (‘SVRO’) are a new police stop and search power being piloted by forces in England and Wales. The orders were created by the Police Crime Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. SVROs can be given to people who are convicted of an offence, if the court believes that […]
Morphine Supply Sentencing Guidelines . Sentencing guidelines exist to guide a court when deciding on the appropriate punishment for most drug-related offences. The guidelines reference the most common drugs, such as cocaine and cannabis, but do not expressly cover drugs that are less commonly found in this type of offending. One such drug is morphine. […]
Cryptoassets and Proceeds of Crime. The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 has received Royal Assent and, when in force, will implement a large number of changes aimed at fighting economic crime and other illegal activity. One major reform in the Act is in relation to Cryptoassets and how they can be seized under amendments […]
Rehabilitation of Offenders. On 28th October 2023 provisions in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 came into effect, enacting changes to the laws in relation to the rehabilitation of offenders. These amendments extend the scope of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act as it applies to England and Wales so that certain custodial sentences […]
Rule of Law is under “grave threat”. Cross-party legal reform charity, JUSTICE has this week published a landmark report describing how the rule of law in the UK has “regressed significantly on multiple fronts” and threatens the very democratic fabric of our nation. The rule of law is a set of principles, fundamental to our constitution, […]