This is one of those posts carrying a title which I genuinely had no intention nor desire to write. It is also, I make plain at the outset, rampant clickbait, as I, like 7 billion other people who were not present for the duration of the court proceedings, am in no position at all to…
Read moreWhy was a homeless man jailed for pretending to run the London Marathon?
A homeless man who picked up a lost race number and “completed” the London Marathon has been jailed for 16 weeks. Yesterday at Uxbridge magistrates’ court, Stanislaw Skupian (38) was sentenced by magistrates having pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing on 18 May to fraud, after he picked up a race card number dropped by…
Read moreDon’t wear skirts, and nine other ways people can protect themselves from crime
Today marked a milestone in the magnificent campaign by Gina Martin to persuade Parliament to legislate against “upskirting”, the intrusive practice of taking photographs of a person under clothing (usually their skirt) without permission. A Private Member’s Bill to create a specific criminal offence of upskirting was introduced by Wera Hobhouse MP, before being blocked by…
Read moreWhy Criminal Justice Matters: Live Event at the RSA
On Tuesday evening, the RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) hosted an event, “Why Criminal Justice Matters“, at which a panel of industry experts (plus me) discussed the plight of the criminal justice system, and what can be done to remedy its failings. The discussion was chaired by Joshua Rozenberg…
Read moreBashing burglars and the law of self-defence
The headlines and news bulletins over the past two days have focused on this story: (Your attention is respectfully drawn to the headline, rather than the libido-boosting diet to beat the menopause (no HRT required.)) I make clear at the outset that I offer no comment whatsoever on this particular case. While the editorial slants…
Read moreBad law reporting and a public dangerously disconnected from criminal justice
thesecretbarrister Bad Law, Contemplations, Law Inaction, Lawsplaining, Legal Aid, Politics, Sentencing
The criminal law has long had an image problem. Partly, the fault is internal: the ridiculous costume; the alienating hybrid of legalese and obsequious formality that renders court hearings nonsensical to anyone in the public gallery; the impenetrability and inaccessibility of updated statute and case law; the historic failure of those of us in the…
Read more9 reasons why this vile murderer should be given taxpayers’ cash to sue the government
Just a quick one. A number of people online were yesterday disturbed by this tweet from court reporting Twitter account @CourtNewsUK, relating to Michael Adebolajo, one of the two murderers of Drummer Lee Rigby: Senior judge says it will be a ‘great pity’ if Lee Rigby’s killer isn’t given taxpayers’ cash to help him sue…
Read moreHarriet Harman’s proposal to keep sexual histories out of court will put innocent people in prison
I have today written a piece for iNews on Harriet Harman’s resurrected plans to ban all evidence of sexual history from the courtroom, and why this is quite simply one of the most dangerous and stupid ideas of recent times. Full piece is here: https://inews.co.uk/opinion/harriet-harmans-proposal-keep-sexual-histories-court-will-put-innocent-people-prison/
Read moreAn Oxford medical student stabbed her boyfriend with a bread knife. So why is she not going to prison?
Remember all the fun we had earlier this year with the Cricket Bat Case? You know the one – where the defendant, Mustafa Bashir, assaulted his wife with a cricket bat, forced her to drink bleach and was given a suspended sentence, partially because the judge took account of the defendant having been offered a…
Read moreMyth-busting the “Tory election fraud” – A 10-point guide
1. So what’s all this about a Tory election fraud? The Crown Prosecution Service today announced that, following a police investigation into allegations relating to Conservative Party candidates’ expenditure during the 2015 General Election campaign, no charges will be brought. Fourteen police forces submitted files of evidence for the CPS to consider, said to show that candidates…
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