Wednesday, 22 June 2022 15:21
New strangulation and suffocation laws
Prosecutors now have new powers to charge specific offences of non-fatal strangulation and non-fatal suffocation, as key measures in the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 come into force.
Wednesday, 09 February 2022 13:58
Duty of care for pornography sites
Adults will have to hand over credit card or passport details before they can access social media sites, the British government threatened this morning. Internet use age verification – first floated and then abandoned via the country's 2017 Digital Economy Act – will return in the UK's Online Safety Bill, digital minister Chris Philp MP has vowed, linking the technology, widely criticised by privacy activists, to protecting children from pornography websites.
Wednesday, 09 February 2022 13:47
Court delays
Ministers insist they are making good progress in tackling the courts backlog despite coming under heavy criticism from opposition MPs over delays in the justice system. Justice minister James Cartlidge told the Commons on Tuesday that cases in the magistrates’ court were close to reaching pre-pandemic levels while the Crown court backlog has fallen from 61,000 cases in June 2021 to 58,700 cases in November 2021. ‘I can confirm that in the next financial year, we expect to get through 20% more Crown court cases than we did in the year previous to Covid,’ he added.
Tuesday, 08 February 2022 12:38
GBH aquittal secured
Thank you to James Caldwell of 2 Harcourt Buildings for securing the acquittal of our client in relation to charges of GBH further to a re-trial. The allegations related to a series of assaults which were alleged to have taken place over a period of time. Our client denied the charges and thanks to Lee Bottomley of Leyson Data, Forensic Experts in digital data, evidence was produced from a mobile phone in support of our client who was ultimately found not guilty of all charges.
Wednesday, 02 February 2022 12:10
Pregnancy in prison
In the past three years, two babies born inside English prisons have died. In September 2019, a woman, now known as Ms A, gave birth alone in her cell at HMP Bronzefield and the baby died. In July 2020, a baby was stillborn at HMP Styal. Prison will never be a safe place for pregnant women, so why are our courts still sending them there?
Tuesday, 01 February 2022 15:21
Greater powers a good idea?
Magistrates will be able to lock up people for longer under powers being granted by the government to cut the Crown court backlog. Lord chancellor Dominic Raab announced today that he will double the maximum prison sentence – currently six months - that magistrates can hand down. Magistrates will also increasingly be allowed to sentence serious cases such as fraud, theft and assault. Currently, any crime that warrants a prison sentence of more than six months must be sent to the Crown court for a judge to determine the appropriate sentence.
Tuesday, 01 February 2022 15:14
Increase in magistrates powers
The chair of the Magistrates’ Association has criticised what she described as 'unwarranted hostility' towards magistrates following the news that their sentencing powers will be increased to help cut the Crown court backlog.
Tuesday, 01 February 2022 15:07
Drill music review
The Telegraph reports that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is to review its guidance on “drill” music amid claims from academics that it can stop young black men from getting a fair trial. The CPS is conducting what it describes as a “listening exercise” with academics, barristers, civil liberty campaigners and youth groups who fear the use of drill music in trials can unfairly stereotype young black defendants as being involved in violence.
Tuesday, 14 December 2021 13:59
Positive Outcome Feedback
Thank you to Helen Easterbrook of Drystone Chambers. Message today left by client 'he said he appeared via Videolink for a hearing at Court today. He said he has had three different legal teams over the years but Louise Rodaway of Wessex Solicitors and Helen Easterbrook are by the far the best, brilliant, fantastic and a cut above the rest'
Friday, 19 November 2021 09:33
Positive Outcome Feedback
We always welcome any feedback, after concluding a recent case we were pleased to receive this note of praise; ‘Unfortunately, I have worked with Solicitors before , this Company is in a different class. I couldn’t ask for a better service’
Tuesday, 16 November 2021 09:58
KNIFE POINT BURGLARY ACQUITTAL SECURED
Following a five-day trial at Portsmouth Crown Court, Imogen Nelson secured the acquittal of her client who had been accused of aggravated burglary. The prosecution adduced identification evidence to support their case that the accused burgled the complainants of their prescription medication at machete point. The accused denied presence and further to close examination of the identification evidence by Imogen, the accused was found not guilty. Imogen was instructed by Louise Rodaway of Wessex Solicitors.
Wednesday, 10 November 2021 12:26
NOT GUILTY FOLLOWING PROSECUTION FAILURES
Sam Barker, instructed by Wessex Solicitors, represented a Defendant accused of luring a man with whom he had a business disagreement to an address before violently detaining and torturing him at Portsmouth Crown Court. The allegation arose from an incident in June 2017, but the case had problems from the outset, leading to an ‘inexplicable’ delay in charging for over 2 years. The case hinged on evidence obtained from mobile telephone downloads from the three Defendants, after the Complainant refused to provide his own telephone. Wessex Solicitors had actively sought to engage with the Prosecution over disclosure, and repeatedly set out…
Monday, 20 September 2021 14:50
Prisons in crisis
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is being overhauled in anticipation of a “bow wave” of more than 20,000 extra jailed criminals who will push the prison population to a post-war high of nearly 100,000 by 2026.
