In the wake of party-gate and the Sue Gray report, breaching Coronavirus regulations by gathering is once again headline news. The report found that numerous parties took place at No.10 Downing Street throughout the pandemic, involving senior government ministers, including the Prime Minister (for which he has already accepted a fine). The report comes less […]
Last week the Court of Appeal handed down a judgment scrutinising the principles that apply when sentencing a police officer for misconduct in public office. The decision will be of particular legal and general interest at a time when public confidence in the police has been challenged. The judgment recognises this, emphasising the sanctity of […]
On 1st June 2022, the Sentencing Council (“the Council”) published two draft sentencing guidelines for consultation – one for organisations, the other for individuals – for sentencing those convicted of selling knives (and razor blades, axes and other bladed articles) to persons under the age of eighteen, contrary to s.141A of the Criminal Justice Act […]
The definitive sentencing guidelines on sentencing sexual offences involves a step-by-step process where first the sentencing judge has to determine the starting point by identifying the correct category of harm caused by the offence (ranging from Category 1 – 3) and thereafter the degree of culpability of the offender (Culpability A or B). The starting […]
INTRODUCTION In most sentencing exercises in cases of murder selecting the correct statutory starting point ought to be relatively straightforward, before the sentencer settles upon the minimum term having regard to the various aggravating and mitigating factors which may apply. However, as two recent cases in my experience demonstrate that is not always so in […]
16th Apr 2024 Read more
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