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It should go without saying that no plea ought to be entered in any criminal case unless and until the case has been appropriately considered. Regrettably, we see an increasing number of people, who have attended court alone, being pressured into entering a plea without having had the advantage of legal advice. It is vital […]
The big news story of the weekend was the surprising news that the Prisons Minister is considering whether to abolish the power to impose short prison sentences, those of 6 months or less. Arguing for the need for reform, Mr Stewart told the Daily Telegraph Magazine: “You bring somebody in for three or four weeks, […]
Was it an offence to accuse Anna Soubry of being a Nazi whilst she was broadcasting on Sky News? Potentially, is the answer. The Public Order Act 1986 contains the most likely candidates for any prosecution, in sections 4, 4A, and 5. These sections deal with ‘lower level’ public order offences. What are those […]
It is a nightmare scenario that potentially any parent could face. A child returns home, late at night in an agitated state. He hurriedly tells you that he has been in a fight, it wasn’t his fault, but someone has been hurt, badly. Further details are not forthcoming, but he thinks the police will be […]
In criminal practice and procedure, you might think that the humble adjournment is a relatively simple and straightforward matter, but you would be wrong. A little like buses, never available when you want one, yet, when you don’t want a case delayed the court always appear happy to work against you. But in reality, the […]
If you are being sentenced for an offence, the court will be aware of, and may take into account, any convictions you have. Whether this has any impact upon the sentence passed will very much depend on the date of those convictions and the relevance of any to the more recent offending. If you plead […]
Unauthorised use of a registered trademark is a criminal offence, so selling fake goods at a car boot sale or on internet selling sites can get you into serious trouble. Few people appreciate the offences that can be committed, and ignorance is usually no defence. This article seeks to explain the background to some offences […]
New legislation was introduced in 2016 banning the production, sale, distribution and supply of psychoactive substances. Within that legislation was a requirement for the government to review the law to measure any changes in outcomes before and after the law was introduced, to see if its aims were being achieved. That review has just taken […]
Many people have an image of a typical drink driver: overweight man, staggering from the pub after an all-day session and getting into his car. A few minutes later that car being pulled over by police officers due to erratic driving. That is sometimes the story, but not the most common one that we see. […]
Hacking has been in the news a great deal in the last couple of years, for example, the 2016 US Presidential Elections, the extradition case of Lauri Love and the hacking of user accounts of various large companies in order to steal personal information. At the other end of the spectrum we see cases of […]