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‘Laughing gas’ more properly known as Nitrous Oxide, is back in the news following a Court of Appeal ruling that the substance is controlled by the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016. The Act makes it an offence to possess psychoactive substances with intent to supply, and in limited cases, simple possession is also an offence. The … Continued

In criminal law, we talk a lot about character, but mainly in the context of ‘bad character’, or previous convictions that the prosecution will try to put before a jury to persuade them of the defendant’s guilt. After all, if he’s done it before, he is more likely to have committed this crime too, is … Continued

These are the more serious offences relating to drugs that can lead to lengthy custodial sentences. What drugs are illegal to supply? It is an offence to supply a controlled drug. This includes the ones that immediately spring to mind such as heroin, cocaine and amphetamine. It also includes what are called Class B and … Continued

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 … Continued

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 or … Continued

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 … Continued

Prosecuting those who publish obscene articles (an offence under section 2 of the Obscene Publications Act 1959), is a reminder that free-speech and expression is subject to lawful limitations. The maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment will frequently be warranted for activities which have disturbing and harmful knock-on effects. Legislation According to section 1 of … Continued

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 … Continued

After a recent spate of assaults involving the use of acids and other corrosive substances, the government has acted to try and curb their use. At the present time around 15 offences per week involve the use of acid and other like substances. In January 2018, the Home Office announced a voluntary agreement with a … Continued

On 29th January 2017, Christine Sullivan and her housemate were found murdered in Farmington, New Hampshire. Their bodies were discovered by the house owner, Dean Smoronk, who was Sullivan’s boyfriend. Timothy Verrill, an associate of Smornok, was later charged with second-degree murder and has pleaded not guilty. Although the evidence against Verrill is said to … Continued