Recent Cases and News

A few years ago, the National Probation Service was split into two. The existing service maintained its supervision of high-risk offenders, mainly those serving lengthy sentences or with complex rehabilitation needs, the remaining offenders, by far the vast...

The answer is sometimes, but not always. Two years ago, Nottinghamshire Police decided to label misogyny and offences targeting women as hate crime or hate incidents. Two local universities recently undertook a report entitled “The Misogyny Hate Crime...

Is there a specific offence? Until now the only specific offence has been that of assaulting a police officer. This is a summary only offence which carries a maximum of 6 months imprisonment. There has always been an option to charge an offender with...

What are you talking about? Monkey dust is a synthetic drug, a type of new psychoactive substance. It is similar to other cathinone drugs such as MDPV, methylone and magic crystals. In the USA it is known as “Zombie Dust” or Cannibal...

An ordinary DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check reveals convictions and cautions. An enhanced check, required for many jobs, may reveal information held by the police such as intelligence, arrests, prosecutions and acquittals.   Surely an...

There has been much ado in the press about police forces undertaking random checks on motorists and revoking licences at the roadside. So, what are their powers?   Can the police stop me? Under section 163 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 a police...

These are the more serious offences relating to drugs that can lead to lengthy custodial sentences.   What drugs are illegal to supply? It is an offence to supply a controlled drug. This includes the ones that immediately spring to mind such as...

If you have provided a statement for the prosecution or for the defence you may be called to court to give evidence at the defendant’s trial.   Is there help available for me? The Witness Service can provide assistance for any witness who has...

In recent years legislation has been enacted to ensure that crimes demonstrating a hostility towards certain groups of people are treated more seriously than before. If an offence is said to be racially aggravated, then you should expect a heftier sentence....

Who is Ben Stokes? He is the England cricketer who was charged with affray and acquitted by a jury.   But the video showed him hitting someone? It did, his defence was that he was acting in self-defence, you can hit someone and still be not...