Issue 271  10th December 2022

Sexual harassment on the street will be made a crime with jail sentences of up to two years, the government has said. Catcalling, following someone and blocking their path will be criminalised in England under plans backed by the Home Secretary.

"Every woman should feel safe to walk our streets," Suella Braverman said. Sexual harassment is already illegal but it is hoped creating a new offence for street harassment will encourage more people to report it to police. "We are putting the needs of victims at the heart of our decision, which will mean the criminals who commit these acts face the consequences they deserve," Ms Braverman said.

Victims of rape across England and Wales will have access to round-the-clock support as a new 24/7 Support Line is launched today (7 December 2022)... Specialist operators – available via telephone or webchat – will be on hand at any time to provide victims with vital information and emotional support. This includes signposting to local, longer-term services such as Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVA).

The government-funded service will be operated by Rape Crisis England & Wales who have over 3 decades’ experience running a helpline for rape and sexual abuse survivors. It will be available to anyone aged 16 years and over who has experienced any form of sexual violence and abuse, at any point in their life. The support line has been launched in time for the festive season when reports of sexual violence are known to increase. At least 1 in 4 women and 1 in 20 men have been raped or sexually assaulted as an adult. Research shows that victims who speak to an ISVA are 49% less likely to withdraw from the criminal justice process. This means that the more support a survivor receives, the more likely it is their attacker will be brought to justice.

Criminal law solicitors could follow the Bar’s example and down tools following justice secretary Dominic Raab’s final response to the Independent Review of Criminal Legal Aid. The review, led by Lord Bellamy and published last December, recommended as a minimum an immediate 15% rise in criminal legal aid rates across the board. One year later, however, Raab last week published his full response, offering an extra £138m for the legal aid sector as a whole, including ‘raising the overall package [for solicitors] from 9% to 11%’. In contrast, the government offered a 15% increase for the vast majority of Crown Court cases as part of a deal to end Criminal Bar strikes in September.

Law Society president Lubna Shuja said: ‘Having seen that direct action gets results, the response from some of our members may be to resort to disruptive tactics. ‘But far more worrying than any disruption caused by short-term action is the continued loss of criminal defence solicitors which is already leaving parts of the criminal justice system wholly unable to cope with the demands on it. This will get even worse across more areas of England and Wales. It will be far more costly to fix if we get that far. ‘We are still exploring options for saving the system, including a legal challenge of the decision.’

Anne Sacoolas has been sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for 12 months, for causing the death of teenage motorcyclist Harry Dunn by careless driving. Sacoolas, 45, was driving her Volvo on the wrong side of the B4031 in Northamptonshire, a two-lane road with a 40mph limit, when she hit Harry, 19, who was riding in the opposite direction. The former US spy was sentenced in an "unprecedented" case at the Old Bailey - but did not attend the hearing in person after American officials stepped in...

Alongside handing Sacoolas a suspended prison sentence, the judge, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb, also ruled that she is disqualified from driving for 12 months. She told the defendant, who appeared in court on Thursday via a video link from her lawyer's office in the US capital, that while she remained in America her sentence could not be enforced.

A new, tri-service and independent body has been launched to investigate criminal offences within the Armed Forces, including rape and sexual assault, the Defence Secretary has announced... The Defence Serious Crime Command (DSCC) and Defence Serious Crime Unit (DSCU) has the jurisdiction to investigate the most serious crimes alleged to have been committed by persons subject to service law in both the UK and overseas.

The unit, based in Southwick Park, replaces the existing Special Investigation Branches (SIB) and in its place forms an independent crime capability for Defence as part of its commitment to reforming the Service Justice System (SJS). This includes implementing the recommended changes to improve the experience for victims, who will be at the heart of the investigative process.