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It’s all change – latest people moves at O’Garra’s

We’re delighted to welcome Gemma Raines back from maternity leave. Gemma is our prison law specialist and is your main point of contact for any prison related issues. Bob Bridle has chosen to retire after many great years of service with us. Bob has an amazing track record of successfully opposing applications for the forfeiture […]

Right to remain silent….. and ask for a solicitor

According to the Home Office there were 950,000 arrests carried out by police in England and Wales in the year ending March 2015. But how many of them asked for a solicitor? According to a gov.uk legal aid report from July 2014-June 2015, it showed that legal aid crime lower (work carried out at the […]

Tougher Sentences For Most Serious Cases of Animal Cruelty Proposed

Animal charities and many others will welcome new proposals for tougher sentences in animal cruelty cases. But what will happen to those accused? Last week (19 May 2016), the sentencing council unveiled a new proposal to hand out tougher sentences to those found guilty of the most serious cases of animal cruelty. The aim is […]

Charged with rape? Should the accused have right to anonymity?

When well documented, high profile rape cases are brought to the public’s attention, it always creates an argument as to whether the defendant should have the right to remain anonymous. The UK’s Sexual Offences Act 1976 states that a victim/complainant has the right to remain anonymous for life. With this, it means it is a […]

Dangerous Dogs Lead To Harsher Punishments

As reported in the news last week, this July (2016) will see new guidelines come into effect to reflect the changes in the law made to the Dangerous Dogs Act in 2014. New sentencing guidelines in England and Wales will see pet owners convicted of dangerous dog offences face much harsher punishments. For cases where […]

Is Your Pet Microchipped?

In April 2016, a new legislation will come in to effect. It will become law that all dog owners in England and Scotland will have to have their dog microchipped by the time it is eight weeks old. A recent study commissioned by Pets at Home unveiled that almost three quarters of pet owners are […]

Joint enterprise law: what is it and why is it controversial?

Today the Supreme Court has ruled that the joint enterprise law has been wrongly interpreted for 30 years. But what is it and why is it controversial? Let us explain a little more…. Joint enterprise cases involve crimes where more than one person takes part. The evidence rules enable those who did not strike the […]

Right Waste, Right Place

Last month (6 January) the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) launched a year-long campaign ‘Fighting Waste Crime’ to tackle waste crime and will be contributing nearly £50,000 to an initiative raising business awareness of the Duty of Care. The campaign will kick start with phase one, ‘Right Waste, Right Place’ managed by the Environmental […]

New Year New Start…. January kicks off with ‘Divorce Day’

It’s well-known that January is one of the busiest months for divorce lawyers. The first working day back after Christmas is now known as ‘Divorce Day’ due to the large amount of requests lawyers receive following the Christmas break. Latest statistics show that there are over 110,000 divorces each year and, unfortunately, around half of […]

If Santa brings you a Hoverboard this year

If Santa brings you a Hoverboard this year, let’s hope he brings you a warning letter with it! Self-balancing scooters such as ‘hoverboards’ and monocycles expected to be among the most popular presents this Christmas but there’s lots in the press around the increasing concerns over their safety. Here’s what we think you should know […]