Prosecuting those who publish obscene articles (an offence under section 2 of the Obscene Publications Act 1959) is hardly prudish, despite what certain commentators would argue. The maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment will frequently be warranted for activities which have disturbing and harmful knock-on effects. Laws of this type remind us that free-speech and…
Section 7 of the Bribery Act 2010 makes it an offence for a company to bribe another with the intent of obtaining or retaining business or to gain an advantage in business. The first conviction after trial for an offence under this section was that of Skansen Interiors Ltd who were convicted of failing…
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…
A few years ago, the National Probation Service was split into two. The exiSting service maintained its supervision of high-risk offenders, mainly those serving lengthy sentences or with complex rehabilitation needs, the remaining offenders, by far the vast majority, are supervised by companies which bid to carry out rehabilitation work, with payment mechanisms often linked…
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 against…
The simple answer is no, but there are potential consequences in certain circumstances. When can they ask? It is arguable that the police could ask you whenever they wanted for your PIN, you can always say no. The critical issue is whether they can take further action if you say no. When can they take…
If you have provided a statement for the prosecution or for the defence you may be called to court to give evidence at the defendant’s trial. Is there help available for me? The Witness Service provide assistance for any witness who has to attend court. This support can be both practical and emotional. They can…
There has been much ado in the press about police forces undertaking random checks on motorists and revoking licences at the roadside. So, what are their powers? Can the police stop me? Under section 163 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 a police officer in uniform has the power to require a driver of a…
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…
Who is Ben Stokes? He is the England cricketer who was charged with affray and acquitted by a jury. But the video showed him hitting someone? It did, his defence was that he was acting in self-defence, you can hit someone and still be not guilty of an offence in certain circumstances. Why did the…
