Listen to this BBC investigation before deciding.   Via bbc.co.uk

I hope you found the BBC programme about disclosure helpful. The extraordinary reality of every police and Magistrates’ Court case at the moment is that disclosure issues arise all the time. What that means in practice is that the police and the Crown Prosecution Service do not send you the documents, the evidence, that they are supposed…

Twice more this week we have seen criminal trials collapse as a result of woeful breaches of disclosure from the Police, HMRC and the Crown prosecution Service. The defendant in the below article faced 3 – 6 years in prison before his trial for VAT fraud collapsed once evidence that should have been disclosed was…

When this happens it can be a tremendous shock, whatever the circumstances. The most important thing to realise is that is not an everyday event and your “conversation” with the police will not be ordinary. The reason the police want to talk to you is very formal and very far from an everyday discussion that…

It must be the most commonly used title for articles and blog posts about wills and probate, but here the cliche is apt. There are all sorts of clever things lawyers can do in relation to estate planning and succession, but often overlooked by clients is one of the simplest: where is the will? Who…

As of Thursday the 18th of August 2016 “zombie knives” will be banned in the United Kingdom following amendments to the Criminal Justice Act 1988. Zombie knives are ornate blades which are regularly printed with images or words which glamorise violence. The ban prohibits the sale, manufacture, rental or importation of the blades. The Home…

Back in 2001, the first EU Tobacco Products Directive was released as a mechanism to reduce tobacco usage across Europe and ensure accountability within the industry. Until very recently, electronic cigarettes have fallen outside the mischief of the TPD in terms of regulation and restrictions. However, revisions have been made and will manifest themselves in…

The law is a force dictated by social persuasion: a change in society calls for the law to catch up accordingly. With advancements in medicine and an increased awareness of the risks surrounding sexual health, the Law Commission has been prompted to release a consultation paper considering the need to include transmission of infection under…

Hate crime is a sensitive area of the criminal law set up in England and wales. As an elevated category of offences, statute reflects the notion that hate crimes ‘hurt more’. Until recently there has been confusion within procedural law where a criminal charge has been raised, such as unlawful wounding, but not the elevated…