Blog

  Draft sentencing guidelines for sentencing retailers including large organisations and individual shop owners convicted of selling knives to children in England and Wales were published for consultation today (1 June 2022) by the Sentencing Council.   There are two guidelines – one for sentencing organisations and one...

  Alcohol tags were launched as part of the government's plans to reduce alcohol-fuelled crime. Following a successful rollout in Wales, the tags were introduced in England in March 2021.   Offenders who commit crimes influenced or fuelled by alcohol can be ordered to wear the so-called sobriety...

  Over the last two years, over 70 X-ray body scanners have been installed in all closed male prisons, producing high-quality images of concealed contraband so that prison officers can easily find and stop dangerous items from entering jails.   These scanners have prevented over 19000 attempts to...

  Supported by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Environment Agency is an executive non-departmental public body. The Agency was established in 1996 "to protect and improve the environment" their responsibilities are:   regulating major industry and waste; treatment of contaminated land; water quality...

Last weekend I listened to the SRA's podcast on their consultation on increasing their fining powers and it made by jaw drop.   The SRA’s fining powers and other sanctions are imposed by ADMs, (Authorised Decision Makers). If you read the recent decisions page on the SRA...

Hayes media release. v1...

  In 2016 Natasha Ednan-Laperouse bought a baguette from Pret a Manger; unbeknownst to Natasha, the bread contained sesame seeds. That ingredient was not listed on the packaging, and Natasha suffered a fatal allergic reaction.   At the time, fresh food that was made and packaged on the...

  The Tory Party Conference has been taking place in Manchester, with several announcements being made that are relevant to the criminal justice system.   Wayne Couzens and violence against women   Wayne Couzens, the former police officer who pleaded guilty to the murder of Sarah Everard, was sentenced to...

  Recreational watercraft and safety   The government has announced a new consultation to look into safety laws relating to recreational and personal watercraft. The proposal is to bring such watercraft within the scope of the provisions of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995. This would mean that recreational...

  Benjamin Monk, a police officer, has been sentenced for the manslaughter of Dalian Atkinson, who died in 2016.   Dalian Atkinson was an ex-footballer who had played for several clubs, including Manchester City and Aston Villa, before retiring from the game in 2001. In August 2016, Mr...