Recent Cases and News

There are two main offences that are prosecuted in relation to benefit fraud, one involves dishonesty, the other does not. The dishonesty offence It is an offence to dishonestly make a representation in order to obtain benefit, and this includes a...

After a recent spate of assaults involving the use of acids and other corrosive substances, the government has acted to try and curb their use. At the present time around 15 offences per week involve the use of acid and other like substances. In January...

In legal shorthand we often refer to section 18 or 20 offences, these refer to specific offences under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861. What is the difference between section 18 and section 20? The most serious form of assault (short of attempt...

Coercing someone into marrying another for some financial or societal benefit is illegal. In April of this year, three young women in Sheffield became subject to Forced Marriage Protection Orders. This case highlights the how embedded this type of offending...

Prosecuting those who publish obscene articles (an offence under section 2 of the Obscene Publications Act 1959) is hardly prudish, despite what certain commentators would argue. The maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment will frequently be...

You may have heard about ‘texts’ or a ‘Brown envelope to the Judge’, some of the names for the old system. If you helped the police a ‘text’ may be handed to the sentencing judge explaining that you had assisted and a...

Matthew Humphries, a solicitor with higher rights of audience based at our Hammersmith office, has defended a Glaswegian woman accused of possessing Class A drugs with the intention to deal (supply). This was a difficult case, but Matthew skilfully and...

A solicitor is there to help advise you on the law, to guide you through difficult times, explain, advise and represent you. But who tells us what to do and ensures that you receive a proper service? The Solicitors Regulation Authority The SRA regulate...

Richard Gowthorpe has secured an impressive not guilty verdict for a client charged with threatening a neighbour with knife violence. The alleged offence occurred following England's 2-1 defeat to Croatia during the World Cup in the summer....

Section 7 of the Bribery Act 2010 makes it an offence for a company to bribe another with the intent of obtaining or retaining business or to gain an advantage in business. The first conviction after trial for an offence under this section was that of...