Criminal Law
20.10.22
Brett Wilson LLP and its lawyers recommended in Chambers and Partners 2023 directory
Brett Wilson LLP’s media and communications law and criminal defence departments have again been recommended by the prestigious Chambers and Partners directory as leading departments in their field. In the firm’s media and communications law department, partners Iain Wilson (noted for ‘his exhaustive knowledge and valuable insight’), Max Campbell (‘first-class acumen and frighteningly accurate ability to…
Read more30.09.22
Brett Wilson LLP’s departments and lawyers recognised by Legal 500
Brett Wilson LLP has again been recommended in three categories in the prestigious Legal 500 directory of leading law firms:- Reputation Management Professional Discipline Crime The firm is praised for its ‘…client-orientated approach, vigorous representation of its clients interests’ and delivery of results. Its reputation management practice is described as ‘exceptional in every regard’. Media and…
Read more27.06.22
Strangulation and suffocation offence introduced
Parliament has introduced new offences under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, to address ongoing concerns of domestic violence in the home, particularly towards women and children. One such offence is strangulation or suffocation (section 70). What are the changes? The new provision came into force on 7 June 2022 and amends the existing the Serious…
Read more24.06.22
The challenge of challenging search warrants
It is an accepted principle in law that the issuing of a search warrant, particularly those involving private property, should only be granted after careful consideration of all the facts and in compliance with statutory guidance. The courts recognise that the power invested in the police to search a home is a ‘draconian’ one and…
Read more18.05.22
Blacklisted: Removing a marker from a fraud database
Fraud databases effectively act as blacklists for financial institutions. An individual with a fraud marker against their name on a fraud database will normally only discover its existence after they have had to deal with the adverse effects that it can cause, such as being refused credit, or an abrupt (and often unexplained) closure of…
Read more17.05.22
High Court upholds disbarment of barrister who sought to conceal dishonesty conviction
In Bibi v Bar Standards Board [2022] EWHC 921 the High Court dismissed the appeal of Sky Bibi, a barrister who had been disbarred by the Bar Disciplinary Tribunal. Ms Bibi had faced allegations of behaving in a way which was likely to diminish the trust and confidence in the profession and acting in a…
Read more16.05.22
Effective justice? Magistrates’ sentencing powers double to 12 months to help clear Crown Court backlog
This month Magistrates have been granted new powers to impose terms of imprisonment up to 12 months, for ‘either-way offences’, enabling Magistrates’ Courts to hear a broader range of matters. The extended sentencing powers are contained in the controversial Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022, which was given Royal Assent on 28 April 2022. The…
Read more27.04.22
Sex offender’s attempt to hold law firm to ransom over data breach backfires
In Chief Constable of Kent Police & Anor v Taylor [2022] EWHC 737 (QB), Mr Justice Saini considered a claim for breach of confidence, arising from the Defendant’s refusal to delete videos that a law firm that had accidentally disclosed to him and which contained sensitive information about a vulnerable minor. The videos were taken…
Read more14.02.22
Partygate: There was no good legal reason to redact Sue Gray’s report
In recent weeks, senior civil servant Sue Gray has been cast into the political and legal limelight. In December Ms Gray (SG) was tasked with investigating suspected breaches of covid regulations which took place at No 10 Downing Street in 2020-2021. We now know there were 16 gatherings during this period, held either at No…
Read more25.11.21
Can I be forced to incriminate my loved ones?
One disturbing truth about violent offences is that, the majority of the time, they occur between two people who know each other. In 2019-2020, 43% of violent crime was committed by an acquaintance, 16% was categorised as domestic violence and only 41% committed by a stranger. Indeed, there were 200,000 of these ‘domestic’ violent offences…
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Articles are intended as an introduction to the topic and do not constitute legal advice.
