The presence of fibres on a person or object is a relatively common feature of serious criminal cases, in particular cases of murder or other serious violence. Fibres can be easily transferred, and their presence can indicate a link between people, locations and/or objects. We know that a significant transfer of fibres can take place … Continued
Several police forces have been using facial recognition technology to detect suspects. Cameras placed in public places can scan thousands of faces as they pass by, matching those images with images on a database. The technology can assist in the apprehension of wanted offenders, and potentially track people as they go about their lawful business. … Continued
Ellis Thomas pleaded guilty to a relatively minor public order offence and was sentenced to a community penalty. This penalty becomes the subject of Court of Appeal proceedings due to the following set of facts: “It was imposed on the appellant in the Crown Court not long after his 18th birthday for an offence committed … Continued
At the end of last year we published the findings of the survey findings on e-scooters which showed that the majority of our sample were unaware of the rules that prevented the growing motorised phenomenon from being used both on public roads and pavements. The Department for Transport are relaxing the rules on the use … Continued
The capacity of digital devices to store vast amounts of information presents issues for law enforcement and prosecutors. Over the last few years we have seen many instances of non-disclosure of key evidence, and at the same time victim advocates have complained that police investigations are overly intrusive and act as a deterrent to people … Continued
In a startling announcement, Justice Secretary Robert Buckland admitted that the right to a jury trial is in his sights and might be curtailed in a few weeks time. Before the Coronavirus pandemic, the Crown Court case backlog was approximately 39,000 cases. Since lockdown, that number has grown considerably as only a trickle of cases … Continued
The recent case of Jay Davison acts as a stark reminder of the consequences that can flow if hate material is published. Davison was convicted of three offences of publishing material with intent to stir up racial hatred, for which he was subsequently sentenced to a period of four years’ imprisonment to run concurrently on … Continued
As we slowly exit the Covid19 ‘lockdown’ we have seen several protests in major cities. As life moves toward a more ‘normal’ footing, whatever that may be, and as we enter the Summer months, protest action may likely increase. In this article, we explore some of the legal powers that regulate processions and assemblies, found … Continued
In cases where there is more than one defendant, it is a common scenario that one of more pleads guilty, perhaps at an early stage, but others continue their case to trial. A question then arises as to whether those who have pleaded guilty earlier should be sentenced immediately, or at some other point. The … Continued
On Sunday 7 June protesters in Bristol tore down the statue of Edward Colston and swiftly deposited it in the local harbour. The statute had been in situ for 125 years and had previously attracted a petition of over 10,000 names calling for its removal, due to Colston’s close connection to the slave trade. The … Continued
Section 146 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 states that if the following circumstances are present, it must be treated as an aggravating factor during sentencing, and in this article we look at ways that you can mitigate its effect: Those circumstances are — That, at the time of committing the offence, or immediately before … Continued
On 20 October 2018 police on uniformed patrol identified a vehicle of interest to them. They followed it for a short distance before causing it to stop. A Mr Jenkins was the driver and a female, Ms Price, was in the front passenger seat. On searching the vehicle, a stun gun was found in the … Continued
