[Image credit: “Coronavirus COVID 19” by https://www.vperemen.com is licensed under CC BY 2.0) Whenever a person is remanded in custody in criminal proceedings, a time limit is set within which the trial must be concluded. The Covid lockdown meant that trials were temporarily suspended leading to issues with custody time limits, if a trial cannot…
[Image credit: fullstoppr/13256567) Did you know that e-scooters fall within the definition of a motor vehicle? You would not be alone if you said no. Due to the growing popularity of e-scooters and general ignorance in respect of the laws governing them, the Metropolitan Police have issued an open letter to retailers to warn purchasers…
[Image credit: File:2018-10-07 Shooting at 2018 Summer Youth Olympics – Boys’ 10 metre air rifle (Martin Rulsch) 047.jpg” by Martin Rulsch, Wikimedia Commons is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 A firearms consultation has been launched this week to seek views on enhanced security for powerful rifles, introducing licensing controls on miniature rifle ranges, and tougher controls on ammunition. Why…
[Image credit: “Das letzte Taxi” by zak mc is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0] It is an offence to “ply for hire” without a licence. The offence comes from the Town and Police Clauses Act 1847, section 45 states it is an offence for a person to allow a vehicle (referred to as a carriage) to be used as…
[Image credit: “Cumbria police car” by 28704869 is licensed under CC BY 2.0] New guidelines take effect in the next few weeks, which will promote pre-charge engagement between the defence and police. What is pre-charge engagement? Pre-charge engagement refers to voluntary engagement between the parties to an investigation after the first police (PACE) interview, and before any suspect has…
[Image credit: Pixabay No. 1616234] It is often the case that a defendant does not dispute that a crime has been committed but denies any participation. In such cases, it will be not only essential to challenge any evidence that points to the defendant as being guilty but also look for evidence that may point…
[Image credit: “Coronavirus COVID 19” by https://www.vperemen.com is licensed under CC BY 2.0] A new lockdown is in force across England from midnight on 5th November 2020 for 28 days. The new laws are intended to dampen down the spread of Covid19 and ensure that the National Health Service is not overwhelmed due to demand…
[Image credit: “Martin Luther King Jr. – I Have A Dream Speech” by e-strategyblog.com is licensed under CC BY 2.0] The closing speech is a significant opportunity for the defence to make a plea to the jury as to why a not guilty verdict ought to be returned. The speech, which will follow any prosecution closing, allows the defence…
[Image credit: “Tree” by -epsilon- is licensed under CC BY 2.0] It can be quite tempting to ignore planning laws in the hope that changes you make to buildings and environment will not be noticed. In our experience, it is quite surprising just how often these breaches come to the attention of the authorities, suggesting that many in society…
[Image credit: “communication” by urbanfeel is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0] ‘Encrochat’ provided an encrypted telephone network that was said to be popular with criminals for its encrypted messaging. Recent joint police operations in Europe allowed officers to hack into the software resulting in the arrest of 746 suspected criminals in the UK. Across Europe, there have been further…
