Can I get a reduced sentence by helping the police? 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...
Publishing, or having for publication for gain, an obscene article 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...
Focus on 'Dangerous Dogs' The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee’s report 'Controlling dangerous dogs' calls for a full-scale review of current dog control legislation and policy to better protect the public. The report was published on 17 October 2018. Is there a problem? According to the Committee,...
Inadmissible confessions 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...
The cannibal drug that makes you smell of vinegar and prawns What are you talking about? Monkey dust is a synthetic drug, a type of new psychoactive substance. It is similar to other cathinone drugs such as MDPV, methylone and magic crystals. In the USA it is known...
What to expect as a witness 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...
Home Law & professional services Lawyers slam SFO disclosure failings for 'miscarriage of justice' in Tom Hayes Libor conviction by Alexandra Rogers 27 April 2018 1:10am Tom Hayes is serving 11 years in prison (Source: Getty) The legal team for convicted Libor trader Tom Hayes has slammed the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) for...
Do I Need a QC? We are often asked questions about QCs, most probably because the image of leading barristers has been epitomised over the years in leading television dramas such as Silk and Kavanagh QC, it is therefore not surprising that you may want to...
Throwing articles into prisons It can be a temptation to family members, and to others perhaps for financial gain, to seek to convey articles into prisons. The chance of being detected is high and possibly for that reason many who might otherwise be tempted to do...
Searching For Answers In Entick v Carrington (1765), a case concerning the entry to and searching of premises, the court ruled: “…if this is law it would be found in our books, but no such law ever existed in this country; our law holds the property of...