News
New Sentencing Guidance for Bladed Articles and Offensive Weapons
The Sentencing Council has issued new guidance, effective from 1 June 2018.
Disclosure Survey Results
More than 1,000 criminal lawyers in England and Wales have experienced disclosure of evidence failings in the last year, according to a BBC survey.
Of the 1,282 who responded, almost a third said they believed such failings had led to possible wrongful convictions or miscarriages of justice. A number of recent rape trials have collapsed after it emerged evidence had not been shared with defence lawyers.
The BBC Radio 4 report is here.
The survey results are here.
Calls for Juror Counselling Post-Trial
A juror who served on a high profile murder trial has criticised the level of support provided to people called up for jury duty.
Rebecca was one of the jurors on the Becky Watts murder trial in 2015, a seven-week case that was so harrowing she said it had a disturbing effect on her.
She told ITV News she was "emotionally isolated" and given no support by the government to help cope with the experience.
Successful Challenge to DBS Street Offences Act 1959 Disclosure
A woman who was forced into sex work as a teenager will no longer have to reveal her criminal convictions to potential employers after winning a battle in the high court.
All three women were forced into sex work as teenagers and each have multiple convictions for soliciting or loitering under the Street Offences Act.
The judgment is here.
Other
Sentencing Remarks in R v Martin Baker Aircraft Limited
Sentencing remarks of Mrs Justice Carr DBE, in the case arising from the death of a Red Arrows pilot, Flt Lt Sean Cunningham, in 2011.
Obscurity
Hijacking of Channel Tunnel Trains
Hijacking a Channel Tunnel train is contrary to section 4 of The Channel Tunnel (Security) Order 1994.