Issue 416  20th September 2025

The City of London Corporation has today (18 September) celebrated the ‘topping out’ of the new flagship courts building at Salisbury Square, which will boost capacity in the criminal justice system to support the fight against fraud, economic and cyber crime. Alongside this, the £600 million complex, funded by the City of London Corporation, will be the new Headquarters for the City of London Police (COLP), providing state of the art accommodation for the force to carry out its unique and vital service as the National Lead Force (NLF) for fraud. The development’s dedicated focus on fraud will mean faster outcomes for victims, greater confidence for businesses, and a stronger deterrent for criminals – helping the justice system keep pace with the scale and complexity of financial crime in the UK. Delivered by the City Corporation, with architecture by Eric Parry Architects and construction led by Mace Construct, the courts building will house 18 courtrooms dedicated to economic and cyber crime cases, consolidating the Square Mile’s existing civil and magistrates’ courts into a single, purpose-built facility...

The Probation Service in England and Wales is failing to monitor and assess tens of thousands of offenders who pose a serious risk to women and girls, a watchdog has told the Guardian. Martin Jones, the HM chief inspector of probation, launching a six-month inquiry into failings in public protection, said it was inevitable there would be more murders, rapes and serious sexual offences without an improvement. His comments come amid concerns there is a shortfall of staff in the Probation Service, and as the government increases its workload by having more criminals in the community tagged and monitored. Jones said several inspections had found that about a third of offenders who were released into the community were not properly assessed...

The criminal justice system is all too often failing disabled victims, according to a new independent review commissioned by the Victims’ Commissioner. The research, published to coincide with National Inclusion Week, reveals that those working in the criminal justice system often lack the necessary training and awareness to meet the needs of Disabled victims, while victims also face significant practical barriers, from delays in securing interpreters and intermediaries to inaccessible courtrooms. Many Disabled victims also report feeling dismissed or disbelieved when they come forward, leaving them less likely to engage with police again and potentially fuelling a cycle of under-reporting. This is particularly concerning as existing research suggests that disabled victims are more likely to have crimes committed against them.

Commissioned by the Victims’ Commissioner and endorsed by leading disability charities, Dr Leah Burch’s review draws together existing literature from UK and overseas studies to provide a comprehensive overview of disabled victims’ experiences. It follows Baroness Newlove’s landmark victim survey, in which Disabled victims reported markedly poorer experiences of the criminal justice system, and comes as recent Crime Survey for England and Wales data highlighted lower confidence in the effectiveness and fairness of the criminal justice system among Disabled people...

A long-awaited "Hillsborough Law" bill will force public officials to tell the truth during investigations into major disasters. The news has been welcomed by campaigners, who had feared the legislation was going to be watered down. The landmark Public Office (Accountability) Bill will force public bodies to cooperate with investigations into major disasters or potentially face criminal sanctions, as well as provide legal funding to those affected by state-related disasters...

The bill will be introduced to Parliament on Tuesday to begin its journey towards becoming law. The government has confirmed a new professional and legal "duty of candour" will be part of the bill, meaning public officials would have to act with honesty and integrity at all times and would face criminal sanctions if they breached it...