Catch up with the latest news.
Criticism of proposed secret courts
The very existence of secret courts currently being legislated for by the Government may itself be a secret, human rights organisation Reprieve has claimed.According to Reprieve, during debates in the Lords on the Justice and Security Bill, ministers confirmed that the fact the Government has applied for a Closed Material… Read more ...Business crime figures creep upwards
The latest Business Crime Index from AXA Insurance shows levels of crime committed against businesses in the UK have grown by 16% in the worst hit areas, while across the UK the cost of theft has increased significantly alongside a rise in the use of violence.The findings, taken from AXA's… Read more ...InterAction process launched
Preparations have begun in a process to seek justice for survivors of historic child abuse in Scotland.The Scottish Human Rights Commission with the Centre for Excellence for Looked After Children in Scotland (CELCIS) have launched a website ahead of an ‘InterAction’ meeting to take place in October.The InterAction will bring… Read more ...Poor treatment of remand prisoners
Many remand prisoners in England and Wales had a poorer regime and less support than sentenced prisoners, said Nick Hardwick, Chief Inspector of Prisons, publishing a short thematic review.This is despite a long-established principle that remand prisoners, who have not been convicted or sentenced by a court, have rights and… Read more ...Man claims riot conviction is a breach of his human rights
A man from Nottingham who was sentenced to prison after the riots that took place last year intends to take his case to the European Court of Human Rights, reports the BBC.The 22-year-old was sentenced to three years in prison for violent disorder but, according to his lawyer, the conviction… Read more ...Prosecution service targets metal thieves
A new Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service ‘Metal Theft Policy’ has been issued in response to the increasing incidence of metal theft due to a rise in scrap metal value. Prosecutors will take a robust prosecution approach to all cases of metal theft. For instance, solemn proceedings will be… Read more ...Report claims police are restricting the right to protest
The Network for Police Monitoring (NetPol) has published a new report, which claims that police forces across the UK are adopting a hard line 'total policing' approach to handling protests, which is restricting the right to protest.The report also claims that the use of police tactics such as 'kettling', stop… Read more ...DPP invites responses to proposed new Code for Crown Prosecutors
Keir Starmer QC, Director of Public Prosecutions, has launched a consultation on a proposed new edition of the Code for Crown Prosecutors (the Code) in England and Wales. The Code is the overarching document that all prosecutors follow in deciding whether or not a suspect should be charged.The draft of… Read more ...Police crack down on speeding drivers
A recent three day anti-speeding campaign detected a total of 1837 drivers breaking the speed limit across Scotland - equivalent to one every two minutes.The campaign, which was organised by the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland, also resulted in a further 62 drivers being reported for driving dangerously… Read more ...