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The Government has published the new Economic Crime Plan for the next three years. In it, they unveil their strategy for dealing with all types of economic crime, such as money laundering, fraud, market abuse, and bribery. What is economic crime, and why is it important? Economic crime is wider than financial crime. It includes … Continued

Over the last few years, we have seen many matters that would previously have been prosecuted before the criminal courts, move into the jurisdiction of other bodies. What we see as a result is a range of specialist regulators best placed to react to perceived industry failings, and if necessary, meet out swift and condign … Continued

We have all read newspaper articles reporting that a drug dealer or fraudster made hundreds of thousands from their offending but was ordered to pay back a much smaller amount. That is not always the end of the matter. What are the proceeds of crime? If a defendant is determined to have had a ‘criminal … Continued

Today the Sentencing Council published new guidelines covering arson and criminal damage of all kinds, as well as threats to destroy property. There were existing guidelines, but they were thought to be very limited and only covered the Magistrates Court, there were no guidelines for the Crown Court, which deals with the more serious offences. … Continued

Recently, three men from Halifax were convicted after one of them was found to have run a company whilst disqualified. The other two were convicted of assisting him. If you’re thinking of trying to evade a director’s ban, be aware that it can lead to a criminal conviction and even prison. Why was he disqualified? … Continued

  Prison is supposed to be hard. It is, after all, a punishment. But it’s also designed to help people address their behaviour and stop them re-offending. When imprisonment leads to more offending, it isn’t working. The specific problems faced by women have been highlighted recently by the Farmer Review for Women. Lord Farmer hopes … Continued

Most people know that a driving ban may follow for serious road traffic offences or a series of lower-level traffic crimes as a result of ‘totting up’. Few of our client’s know that disqualifications can follow in other cases if a vehicle is used to facilitate the commission of an offence. What is the relevant … Continued

A District Judge sitting at Westminster Magistrates’ Court last week authorised that a summons be issued against the prominent conservative member of parliament, Boris Johnson. The allegations relate to alleged conduct during the Brexit referendum campaign and in particular the £350m per week for the NHS slogan that adorned the side of campaign buses. Unless … Continued

On 16th May 2019 the controversial Offensive Weapons bill received Royal Assent, bringing into law the Offensive Weapons Act 2019.  Why was this law passed? This legislation has been passed in order to assist in stemming the current problems in relation to knife crime and other serious offending involving weapons, whether it will be successful … Continued

This perennial question was back in the news following a ministry of justice announcement that further steps would be taken to root out dishonest prison officers and others working in custodial institutions. A new counter-corruption unit will be tasked with ‘proactively [pursuing] those suspected of corrupt activity in prison and probation services across England and … Continued

The idea of speed limits causes immense confusion, with many people believing that the speed limit is at least the minimum speed you should ordinarily drive at. Most of us have experienced the rage of a motorist behind us if we adhere to the limit, and a step below it to any degree can cause … Continued