In Focus

Those working in the criminal justice system (CJS) and directly with defendants will be familiar with the shock, uncertainty, and fear that can accompany prosecution. For neurodiverse defendants, the court process can be all the more confusing and stressful....

TOM HAYES AND CARLO PALOMBO: THE LIBOR/EURIBOR SAGA - THE FINAL CHAPTER Mr Hayes was the first person to be prosecuted by the SFO in connection with attempts to influence key benchmark rates of interest used in financial markets; in his case the...

In a case decided last year, the Court of Appeal upended the evidential status (as generally understood) of defence statements so significantly that every criminal practitioner will want to master the consequences. The case is R v Roehrig [2024] EWCA Crim...

In this major article,  Rudi Forston KC surveys the proposed changes to the PoCA regime to be brought about when and if the Crime and Policing Bill passes into law. The changes are significant. All criminal practitioners will be grateful for the...

The Crime and Policing Bill 2025 creates a raft of new criminal offences from possession of blades, points, offensive blades weapons with intent, offences of child criminal exploitation, encouraging or assisting serious self -harm, concealing one’s...

Those with long memories will remember the two reports published under the tenure of Richard Thomas, the then Information Commissioner, "What price privacy?" in May 2006 and "What price privacy now?" in December 2006.  The...

In the not so distant past all advocacy in the Crown Court was effectively oral; witnesses were examined and cross-examined, documents were exhibited and speeches made.  There was no difference between how the prosecution and defence cases were...

It has been said that the peculiarities of the fitness to plead regime can cause practitioners to question their own sanity.  This article seeks to summarise the fundamentals. The Law – a good place to start The starting point is the Criminal...

This article is drafted on the day Susannah Hancock’s independent review into placements and care for girls in youth custody has been published. It highlights the complex mental and physical health issues these girls often face, with self-harm at a...

As part of the Inquiries and Inquests Practice Group Winter Series, Dermot Keating KC and Clementine Simon analyse the recent House of Lords report on Public Inquiries and question whether this will lead to any changes in 2025. The profile of public...