News
Interim CPS Disclosure Survey Results
The Criminal Law Solicitors' Association have been asking criminal practitioners to share their experiences of prosecution disclosure failings. The interim results from the survey have been published and they paint a bleak picture.
Problems with the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016
First instance decisions in Taunton Crown Court and Southwark Crown Court have found that nitrous oxide is a 'medicinal product' and therefore falls outside the heavily criticised Psychoactive Substances Act 2016. The CPS have announced that they are looking into the issue.
NCA Assistance Unlawful in Thai Investigation
The National Crime Agency in the UK has been forced to admit it acted unlawfully when it gave information to Thai police that helped send two men to death row for murdering two British backpackers.
The High Court Order is here.
Cases
Maxwell v R [2017] EWCA Crim 1233
When sentencing goes wrong, including: concurrent versus consecutive custodial sentences, summary-only offences wrongly included on the indictment, a 2 year custodial sentence for an offence carrying a 6 month maximum, and thefts sentenced as burglaries.
International
'We spent almost two years sitting on a jury'
The longest-serving jurors in UK criminal history give their opinions of the experience. The trial in Scotland lasted 20 months, with the jury sitting on 320 days.
Education
Forensic Psychology - Free Online Course
Free online course looking at how psychology can help obtain evidence from eyewitnesses in police investigations and prevent miscarriages of justice. Starts 4 September 2017.
Other
Kalisher Essay Competition 2017
Open to all pupils currently undertaking a criminal pupillage, the essay question for 2017 is: ‘Recent official Reports have exposed a crisis in disclosure which threatens a fair trial and risks further miscarriages of justice. What has gone wrong and where do the remedies lie?’.
Obscurity
Handling Salmon Suspiciously
Handling salmon in suspicious circumstances is contrary to section 32 of the Salmon Act 1986.