by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Nov 30, 2023 | News
The Dangerous Dogs (Designated Types) (England and Wales) Order 2023 was laid before parliament on 31 October 2023, which has important implications for the owners of the dog breed “XL Bully”. This statutory instrument will be accompanied by other...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Nov 29, 2023 | Information
On 28th October 2023 provisions in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 came into effect, enacting changes to the laws in relation to the rehabilitation of offenders. These amendments extend the scope of the Rehabilitation of Offenders At as it applies to...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Nov 29, 2023 | Financial
The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 has received Royal Assent and, when in force, will implement a large number of changes aimed at fighting economic crime and other illegal activity. One major reform in the Act is in relation to Cryptoassets and...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Nov 29, 2023 | Law
In July 2023, the Court of Appeal quashed a sentence of 28 months imprisonment and substituted a sentence of 14 months imprisonment, suspended for two years. The case concerned an offence of administering poison with intent to procure miscarriage, with respect to a...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Nov 29, 2023 | Illegal Weapons
The Firearms Act 2023 has received Royal Assent and when brought in to force, will introduce a number of regulatory and criminal law reforms. Miniature Rifle Ranges There is an exemption in firearms law (section 11(4) of the Firearms Act 1968) which allows a person to...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Nov 29, 2023 | Information
This week, the prison population rose to a record number of 88,225, a significant increase on the previous week and only around 500 places short of “operational capacity”, which is the maximum number of prisoners that can be held. Andrea Albutt, president...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Nov 29, 2023 | Cases
A new study by Professor Carole McCartney of the University of Leicester has shone a light on police handling of materials gathered to support criminal prosecutions. Professor McCartney found: CPS data indicate the potential impact of lost materials on prosecutions,...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Nov 22, 2023 | Information
Some people may be physically unable to use the current evidential breath analysis machines, relied upon by police to gather proof of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, new research from the University of Sheffield indicates. The new study challenges the...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Nov 22, 2023 | News
New analysis of government figures reveals that, for the first time on record, more than 100,000 children in England and Wales have a parent in prison. The official Ministry of Justice estimate indicates that, on average, each male prisoner has 1.14 children,...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Nov 7, 2023 | Crime
Police are still investigating the causes of a fire that destroyed the Crooked House Pub near Dudley, causing a lot of people to look closely the laws surrounding criminal damage. In simple terms, you can harm or destroy your belongings, even by setting them on fire,...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Nov 7, 2023 | Football
Football banning orders are made by the courts to help prevent violence or disorder at, or in connection with, regulated football matches. An individual with a banning order is prevented from attending all regulated matches in the UK and may be required to hand over...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Oct 2, 2023 | Information
On the 12th September 2023, Andrea Leadsom MP posed this question to Edward Argar MP who is a Minister of State in the Ministry of Justice: ‘What conversations has my right hon. Friend had across government to make sure that the sentencing for those convicted of...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Oct 2, 2023 | Information
The outgoing Chief Inspector of Probation has issued a damning report. He is calling for an independent review of whether the Probation Service should return to local control two years on from unification into a national service. The Chief Inspector reports, in an...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Oct 2, 2023 | Information
Possession of nitrous oxide, also known as ‘laughing gas’, will be illegal by the end of the year. The ban was promised as part of the Government’s Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan, with the Home Secretary urging police forces to get tougher on...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Oct 2, 2023 | Law
Cross-party legal reform charity, JUSTICE has this week published a landmark report describing how the rule of law in the UK has “regressed significantly on multiple fronts” and threatens the very democratic fabric of our nation. The rule of law is a set...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Oct 2, 2023 | Crime
IPP sentences were indeterminate sentences handed down by courts in England and Wales between 2005 and 2012. They were used for offenders considered to pose a significant risk of causing serious harm to the public until they no longer represented such a risk. When...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Oct 2, 2023 | Crime
Much has been written this week on government plans to “ban” machetes and zombie knives, and claims that possession would be made “illegal”. The government said: “Machetes and zombie-style knives with no practical use will be banned and...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Oct 2, 2023 | Crime
A feature of many miscarriages of justice cases is the malign influence of dishonest police officers who have managed to stay in post despite many years of red flags having been raised in some cases. Recent tragic cases, such as the murder of Sarah Everard, have...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Oct 2, 2023 | Cases
A new offence of strangling/suffocation came into force on 7 June 2022, and we have previously written about the case of Cook [2023] EWCA Crim 452, which sets out comprehensive sentencing principles for judges. In Cook, the Court of Appeal commented: “In view of...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Oct 2, 2023 | Cases
On Friday, 18 August 2023, the Jury returned its final verdicts in the trial of nurse Lucy Letby. Letby was convicted of murdering seven babies in her care and attempting to murder six more. The Jury were discharged from reaching verdicts concerning four other babies....
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Sep 28, 2023 | Laws
In our increasingly digital world, personal data has become a valuable commodity. As a result, the need for robust data protection measures has never been more critical. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), enacted by the European Union (EU) in 2018, is a...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Aug 19, 2023 | Crime
It is prevalent for money laundering offences (under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002) to be charged alongside other alleged criminality, particularly drug offences. Whilst dealing with the monetary gains from offending will indeed amount to a separate money laundering...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Aug 19, 2023 | Information
The Environment Agency is responsible for the investigation and prosecution of a great many regulatory and criminal offences. As an alternative to criminal prosecution financial sanctions can be imposed in accordance with the Environmental Civil Sanctions (England)...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Aug 19, 2023 | News
Fans are being warned they face being banned from football matches – and next year’s Men’s European Championships – if they commit tragedy-related abuse as prosecutors publish additional guidance this week. The Crown Proseuction Service has updated its prosecution...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Aug 19, 2023 | Court
In the early hours of 17 October 2022 Morgan Trowland, who is now 40 years old, and Marcus Decker, who is now 34 years old, scaled the Queen Elizabeth II bridge on the M25 carriageway. They hoisted a “Just Stop Oil” banner across the bridge, and suspended themselves...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Aug 19, 2023 | Information
A public consultation invites views on the operational impact and workability of the newly drafted Code of Practice for the statutory two-tier framework of Out of Court Disposals, as set out in The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts (PCSC) Act 2022. Out of Court...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Aug 19, 2023 | Information
The Youth Justice Legal Centre (YJLC) and the Institute for Crime and Justice Policy Research (ICPR) at Birkbeck have published groundbreaking research on the quality of legal representation in the youth justice system. The findings cement the urgent need for clear...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Aug 19, 2023 | Information
A massive police operation across Europe to disrupt serious crime, much of it being conducted across encrypted phone devices (‘EncroChat’) has been judged a significant success. Police investigators managed to intercept, share and analyse over 115 million...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Aug 19, 2023 | Information
Shortages of prison staff and a lack of training means not enough prisoners are able to improve their reading – according to a new report by Ofsted and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons. In March 2022, Ofsted and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP)...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Aug 19, 2023 | Uncategorized
In a recent case, the Court of Appeal dealt with an appeal concerning an ex-police officer who served on a jury. When the prospective juror was summoned for jury service, he wrote to the court in the following terms: “After discussing my forthcoming juror duty...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Aug 19, 2023 | Law
Two new guidelines for sentencing people convicted of interfering with the administration of justice in England and Wales were published this week by the Sentencing Council following consultation. For the first time, judges and magistrates will have guidelines to...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jul 22, 2023 | News
Up to 12,000 prisoners in England and Wales at risk of being released homeless will be offered temporary housing for up to 12 weeks as part of the Community Accommodation Service scheme. In 2019/20 (the last pre-COVID performance publication), there were approximately...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jul 22, 2023 | Crime
Homicide is the killing of one person by another. It accounts for a very small proportion of deaths each year in England and Wales; for the most recent five years of mortality data, from 2017 to 2021, homicides accounted for one in every 800 deaths. Historical data on...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jun 24, 2023 | Information
As part of government’s Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan, published in March 2023, a 6 month pilot will rapidly deploy those sentenced to perform Community Service (unpaid work) to swiftly clean up egregious instances of fly-tipping, vandalism and littering as part...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jun 24, 2023 | Drugs
In a recent case, an offender offered the following by way of mitigation: ‘[He] said that he owed a gang £25,000 for his passage to the United Kingdom. He now said that he had initially been working on a construction site and had moved to work where the cannabis...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jun 24, 2023 | Information
A pre-sentence report is advice given to the court following the facts of the case, expert risks and needs assessments, including an independent sentencing proposal and additional relevant information. They must be as objective as possible and exist to assist the...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jun 24, 2023 | International
The Sentencing of young persons is one of the most complex judicial exercises, which must recognise the substantial differences between child and adult offending, particularly where an offender before the court has just reached majority age. Research has repeatedly...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jun 24, 2023 | Crime
On 3 March 2023, the Court of Appeal handed down a judgment in the case of Arie Ali. The case proved to be of some interest due to this remark made by Lord Justice Edis: ‘On 24 February 2023, the Deputy Prime Minister wrote to the Lord Chief Justice saying:-...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jun 24, 2023 | Law
When considering police powers, particularly concerning search and seizure of property, we think first of powers derived from statute, which leads us to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. On occasion, however, statute does not provide police with effective...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jun 24, 2023 | Information
The Law Commission is tasked with keeping the law under review and this week presented a consultation paper discussing significant reforms to the trial of sexual offences, including rape. Why was the review carried out? In its End-to-End Rape Review, the Government...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jun 24, 2023 | Information
Generally speaking, news of legal aid reform is met with some trepidation as it usually means even more people will be excluded from this critical safety net or the fees are to be reduced even further. However, this week, a government announcement has been met with...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jun 7, 2023 | Information
Ipsos polling shows that more than 2 in 3 (67 %) of UK adults are worried about seeing content promoting or advocating self-harm while online. In 2021 the Law Commission recommended that individuals responsible for encouraging or assisting serious self-harm should be...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jun 7, 2023 | Crime
The government is now backing new proposals to deter and punish rural crimes. The Equipment Theft (Prevention) Bill is a private members bill which has government support. It was introduced to Parliament by Greg Smith MP on 16 June 2022 and is sponsored by Lord...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jun 7, 2023 | Driving
A blood test to measure whether a driver who has caused an accident was impaired by lack of sleep could be available within two years, making it easier to legislate against drowsy drivers or their employers. Is this really a problem? Globally, more than 1.35 million...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jun 7, 2023 | Animals
Updated sentencing guidelines for animal cruelty offences that reflect changes introduced by the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021, were published today by the Sentencing Council following consultation. For the first time, a new ‘Animal cruelty’ guideline gives...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | May 7, 2023 | Information
The government has set out proposals to reduce women’s offending over the period of the 2022–25. This Delivery Plan sets out how Government will deliver four key priorities to reduce women’s offending over the next three years. These are: • Fewer women entering the...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | May 7, 2023 | Information
Current legislation to manage protests provides predominantly for powers to counter behaviours at protests which are violent or distressing to the public. These powers include those under the Public Order Act 1986 (the “1986 Act”) which provides the police with powers...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | May 7, 2023 | Court
An offence of non-fatal strangulation or suffocation was created by the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 and came in to force on 7 June 2022. CPS guidance on this offence states: “Some dictionary definitions of the word “strangle” link the word to an...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | May 7, 2023 | Crime
It has been reported that Police in England and Wales are to be given new powers to tackle “disruptive” slow walking used by protesters to block roads. The new legislation would give officers more leeway to intervene when protesters attempt to block roads...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | May 7, 2023 | Uncategorized
The advice here concerns ‘lethal barrelled’ air weapons – those with muzzle energy of more than 1 joule. Guns below this threshold, and qualifying ‘airsoft’ guns, are not regarded as firearms. Air weapons with muzzle energy greater than 12 foot-pounds may only be held...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | May 7, 2023 | Crime
The government is consulting on legislative measures to provide the police with more tools to disrupt knife possession and tackle knife crime. It has identified certain types of machetes and large outdoor knives that do not seem to have a practical use and appear to...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Apr 28, 2023 | Cases
When a court bails a person, they will often be given a precise future date on which they should attend again. In the Crown Court, this is only sometimes the case, and a client will rely upon their solicitor to inform them of any future dates on which the case is...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Apr 28, 2023 | Crime
Most motorists are alert to law enforcement when driving, taking notice of speed limits, speed camera warnings, and generally being alert to the fact that a police car may be waiting just around the corner. But how often do you look up? Sure, if you are being pursued...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Apr 28, 2023 | Uncategorized
During the life of a criminal case, it is common for a defendant to face a different judge each hearing. In more complex cases, hearings are reserved wherever possible to the same judge to save duplication of judicial resources and more effectively manage the case,...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Apr 14, 2023 | Family
Once you or your spouse have decided that your marriage is over and that divorce is inevitable, the next question tends to how do we divide our finances? Whilst the media is full of reports of the rich and famous getting divorced and dividing multiple properties, the...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Apr 13, 2023 | Forensics
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Miscarriages of Justice has announced the launch of the Westminster Commission on Forensic Science. Over the next 18 months, a Westminster Commission inquiry, co-chaired by Baroness Sue Black and Professor Angela Gallop, will be...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Apr 13, 2023 | Driving
In a recent case, a Transport Commissioner removed an Operator’s License from a driver who had engaged in a “road rage” incident following what was otherwise a minor traffic incident. The driver, Kevin Griggs, was involved in a slight collision with...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Mar 19, 2023 | Information
Domestic abusers who kill their partners or ex-partners will receive tougher sentences under government plans published this week. The law will be changed so a history of coercive or controlling behaviour against the victim or the use of excessive or gratuitous...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Mar 15, 2023 | News
In April 2023, Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs) are due to come into force in certain pilot areas (Section 342A to 342K of the Sentencing Code). The conviction must be for an offence which was committed on or after the first day appointed by regulations for...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Mar 15, 2023 | Law
In 2016, HMCTS launched an ambitious portfolio of reforms later brought together to form the courts and tribunals reform programme. It aims to modernise the justice system by reducing complexity and providing new ways for people to engage. HMCTS intends to achieve...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Mar 15, 2023 | Information
Sometimes clients contact because they are unhappy with the way that a judge, or other judicial office-holder, has behaved towards them. These are what are known as complaints about personal conduct of judges. They are distinct from complaints about points of law,...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Mar 15, 2023 | Law
Updates to sentencing guidelines for offenders convicted of child cruelty offences including causing or allowing death or serious injury in England and Wales, were published this week by the Sentencing Council following consultation. Why have the guidelines been...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Mar 15, 2023 | Information
The sentencing regime in the magistrates’ court is notoriously complex and about to change again following a government U-Turn. In May 2022, the government allowed magistrates to imprison an adult for up to 12 months for a single either-way offence; the previous...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Feb 20, 2023 | Levy & Co
Levy and Co Solicitors are pleased to announce that three members of our team have had recent success: Rose Noble, who joined us from university as a paralegal has, today, been accredited as a duty solicitor. Two other paralegals – Vlad – Taylor, who both...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Feb 20, 2023 | Information
The current Justice Secretary has long been on record as no fan of the Parole Board. A string of high-profile interventions, primarily unsuccessful, has led to new changes being announced, intending to make it more difficult for many offenders to secure release. In...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Feb 20, 2023 | Driving
In 2022 the Law Commission was asked to clarify the current legal status of remote driving and consider possible reforms. The request came from the UK Government’s Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) and the International Vehicle Standards team at the...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Feb 13, 2023 | Information
PP sentences were introduced to prevent serious offenders being released when still a danger to the public. They were scrapped in 2012, but nearly 3000 people remain in prison under the legislation, with almost half of these having been recalled to prison after...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Feb 13, 2023 | Driving
The Court of Appeal has issued guidance on whether it is ever appropriate to disqualify someone from driving a motor vehicle for the rest of their life. The Court was considering a case where a Judge made the following remarks when imposing such a ban: “… you...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Feb 3, 2023 | Information
Two reports, one published this week, lay bare the grim conditions that await some prisoners. An investigation by the Prison Advice and Care Trust found: The majority of families witnessed a significant decline in their loved ones’ mental and physical health during...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Feb 3, 2023 | Cases
This will be a concise article because the answer to the question, at least for most of us, is that we don’t know much! What we know is that a complaint was made to the police that led to Greenwood being charged in October 2022 with one count of attempted rape,...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jan 27, 2023 | Information
On 28 June 2022, the maximum penalty for causing death by dangerous driving was increased from 14 years imprisonment to life imprisonment. The Sentencing Council is currently considering a revision to its sentencing guideline to reflect this change. Until that work is...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jan 27, 2023 | News
New laws, in force from 1 October 2023 will make a number of amendments to the regime governing regulated and reportable substances under the Poisons Act 1972. The purpose of the amendments is to strengthen existing safeguards that are in place to prevent the illicit...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jan 21, 2023 | Cases
The Single Justice Procedure (“SJP”) is designed to enable magistrates’ courts to deal with minor offences more efficiently, while still ensuring rigorous, open and fair justice. Whether those aims are in fact met is the subject of some intense debate,...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jan 21, 2023 | News
It is standard for people to share a Netflix account (the same is true of other sharing services). In many instances, it is perfectly proper to do so when those persons are all part of the same household. But sharing password access with relatives and friends further...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jan 21, 2023 | Information
Landfill Tax applies to all waste disposed at a licensed landfill site (unless the waste is classed as exempt). The permit holders for landfill sites (operators) are liable to Landfill Tax in the first instance. If the operator does not have direct involvement with...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jan 21, 2023 | Information
For the first time, prisons beyond the high-security estate will use new, improved machines to check baggage brought in by the thousands of staff and visitors who enter and exit prisons daily. To date, these machines have stopped huge hauls of illegal contraband from...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jan 21, 2023 | News
The issue of modern slavery and legal defences that might be available to those suspected of crime has occupied a great deal of judicial time over the last five years. The latest case to come before the court, AFU [2023] EWCA Crim 23, resulted in the conviction being...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jan 21, 2023 | Crime
New legislation (The Merchant Shipping (Watercraft) Order 2023) is being introduced to crack down on the dangerous misuse of watercraft such as jet skis, with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency being granted more powers to prosecute perpetrators of accidents. The new...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jan 9, 2023 | Levy & Co
January has traditionally been seen as a time when divorce petitions raise, and indeed when other couples look to separate. Previously, the press sees this as taking place on the first Monday in the month of January when most firms receive new enquiries about seeking...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Dec 30, 2022 | Crime
Aggravated Trespass is an offence under section 68 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. It can only be tried in the magistrates’ court and carries a maximum penalty of three months’ imprisonment. A person commits the offence of aggravated trespass if he...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Dec 30, 2022 | Violent Crime
Section 174: Standard of proof On 29th November 2022, section 174 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 came into force, making a substantial legal change concerning the making of Sexual Harm Prevention Orders. Section 174 amends sections 103A(3) and...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Dec 30, 2022 | Driving
It’s funny how things change as the years pass by. Perhaps only ten years ago, if we were thinking about particular spikes in alleged criminal offending over the Christmas period, the one that would jump out would always be drunk driving. These days it is common...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Dec 30, 2022 | Information
Public sexual harassment (‘PSH’) will be made a specific offence through government-backed legislation. It is believed that creating an offence would contribute to cultural change and send a clear message that this behaviour is unacceptable. PSH can, when...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Dec 30, 2022 | Court
The old rule was that once a jury had retired to consider its verdict, no further evidence could be adduced. The rule was stated in these terms: “… The jury may not when they have once retired to consider their verdict be given any additional evidence, any...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Dec 30, 2022 | Crime
The Ministry of Justice has announced emergency measures that will see some people who ought to be in prison instead placed in police cells. The capacity pressure is specific to the adult male estate, and there is ample capacity in the women’s and youth estates....
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Dec 30, 2022 | Court
What impact might the serious ill health of counsel have on the safety of a conviction? The Appellant asked the Court of Appeal to resolve this question, which had been formulated in these terms: “Where after a trial in which the defendant was convicted it...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Nov 30, 2022 | Court
It is an offence for a person, with the intention to: (a) of cause public alarm or anxiety, or (b) cause injury to members of the public consuming or using the goods, or (c) cause economic loss to any person by reason of the goods being shunned by members of the...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Nov 30, 2022 | Cases
It is now commonplace for us to be asked to deal with cases where a person is accused of a crime, most commonly of a sexual nature, which is said to have occurred many decades earlier. Not surprisingly, those accused will wonder how they can be expected to properly...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Nov 30, 2022 | Information
Any avid fan of American courtroom drama will be familiar with the idea of lawyers using ingenious methods to try and select a favourable jury panel. In England and Wales, the scope for objection is minimal, and in most cases, the jurors chosen to sit will remain on...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Nov 30, 2022 | International
In 2016 the Supreme Court held that the joint enterprise laws needed revisiting, holding that previous cases were wrongly decided: ‘The unanimous conclusion of the court is that Chan Wing-Siu and Powell and English did take a wrong turning and these appeals...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Nov 26, 2022 | Information
The Law Commission has published new reforms to overhaul the system for recovering the proceeds of criminal activities. The reforms, which are the culmination of a Home Office-commissioned review, would enhance enforcement powers and could lead to the recovery of...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Nov 26, 2022 | Information
The Attorney General has the power to refer to the Court of Appeal sentences for certain offences which they believe to be unduly lenient. This is sometimes called the unduly lenient sentence scheme. The scheme was established in the Criminal Justice Act 1988 and came...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Nov 3, 2022 | Crime
Police recorded crime figures in 2021/22 show that there were 155,841 offences where one or more of the centrally monitored hate crime strands were deemed to be a motivating factor. This represented a 26% increase on figures for 2020/21. Since April 2015, there have...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Nov 2, 2022 | News
A new public order bill is currently before parliament and may trigger a more authoritarian approach to protest rights. Introducing the bill, then Secretary of State for the Home Office Priti Patel spoke of an increase in disruption and criminal behaviour during...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Nov 2, 2022 | Information
For decades academics, policy makers, practitioners and other experts have deliberated on how best to create safer communities by preventing offending by children. For the past 20 years or more, the body of evidence known as the ‘Child First’ approach has been proven...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Nov 1, 2022 | News
On 3 November 2022, Glencore Energy (UK) Limited was sentenced to financial penalties totalling some £280 million. Glencore was charged on indictment with seven counts under the Bribery Act 2010. Glencore pleaded guilty to all seven counts on 21 June 2022 before the...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Oct 24, 2022 | Information
Changes to pre-charge bail arrangements and the current system of “release under investigation” are expected to come into force in late October 2022 when schedule 4 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing And Courts Act 2022 is commenced. The current system An...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Oct 24, 2022 | News
HM Prison & Probation Service launched an electronic tagging programme to improve efficiency and increase the usefulness of tagging for police and probation services, but after significant setbacks and delays the failure has cost taxpayers dear. Tagging allows the...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Oct 15, 2022 | Information
On 5th January 2022 at the Crown Court sitting at Bristol, four defendants were found not guilty of criminal damage even though they had readily admitted to removing a statue (of Edward Colston) from its plinth and tipping it into the harbour. Following the...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Oct 15, 2022 | Information
General deterrence raises some of the oldest questions in criminology. A general deterrent effect would occur where a disposal makes other potential offenders less likely to offend. General deterrence is said to depend on three main factors which have been explored in...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Oct 4, 2022 | Information
The Sentence of Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP sentence) was introduced under the Criminal Justice Act 2003 to detain people in prison who posed a significant risk of causing harm to the public. Following criticism of the sentence and its operation, it was...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Oct 4, 2022 | Information
We were concerned that a minor piece of research, casting doubt on the quality of representation in youth cases, was widely reported in the press. What did the study suggest? A report by “Fair Trials”, Young minds, big decisions, alleges that young people...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Sep 28, 2022 | Crime
The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill has been laid before parliament and is intended to: “strengthen the UK’s reputation as a place where legitimate businesses can thrive while driving dirty money out of the UK.” Through the legislative...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Sep 28, 2022 | Information
The government has this week released data in respect to football-related crime and disorder. The key findings are: Incidents were reported at more than half of all matches (53%) – 1,609 of the 3,019 matches played Around 70% of fans arrested last season were...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Sep 28, 2022 | Information
Given we are criminal defence lawyers we interact with police on a regular basis, but perhaps without thinking too much about the office of police constable and what it entails. Every police officer, irrespective of rank hold the office of police constable. The office...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Sep 28, 2022 | Crime
When sentencing for offences of assault, the use of a weapon will always be an aggravating feature. The sentencing guideline also refers explicitly to “highly dangerous weapons” and will be treated as a particularly serious feature of the offending. In a...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Sep 28, 2022 | Cases
In a recent case (Spivey [2022] EWCA Crim 997) a Judge was faced with offenders who had just turned 18 years of age. When sentencing, he made the following observation: “I do have in mind the guidelines in relation to sentencing children and young people.”...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Sep 28, 2022 | Information
Custody time limits seek to regulate the maximum period that a person can be held in custody before their trial commencing. Broadly speaking, that period is one of six months. To extend the period beyond six months, the prosecution must have acted with all due...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Sep 28, 2022 | Information
Several offences, such as those involving offensive weapons and blades, have minimum sentencing provisions, resulting in imprisonment for at least six months for many offenders. A question arose as to whether such prison sentences could lawfully be suspended. In the...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Sep 28, 2022 | Court
The trial of former footballer Ryan Giggs ended this week without a verdict. The aim of any trial is for a verdict to be reached on all counts, whether guilty or not guilty. Ideally, a jury will be unanimous in its view. In the Giggs trial, it became apparent that a...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Sep 18, 2022 | Cases
In Meanley [2022] EWCA Crim 1065 the Court of Appeal emphasised the importance of pre-sentence reports when sentencing young offenders. Meanley was 16 ½ at the date of commission of the offences, and 17 at the date of his conviction and sentence. On 29 October 2021,...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Sep 18, 2022 | News
Many people will have heard that barristers are to begin strike action on the 5th of September, intending to continue indefinitely. Because some action was already pencilled in, the reality is that many barristers will conduct no further defence work with effect from...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Sep 9, 2022 | News
We were saddened to learn of Queen Elizabeth’s passing yesterday. For many years, she and her family served this country with honour and dignity. She worked hard for the British people and ruled with a beautiful sense of humour. Elizabeth sadly passed away at...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Sep 9, 2022 | Levy & Co
Confiscation remains one of the most challenging areas of criminal law, confusing not only clients but also many lawyers with insufficient expertise in this area. In a recent case, the Supreme Court considered the situation where a person lies to secure a job but goes...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Aug 22, 2022 | Information
As part of a standard stop and search, police officers can require those being searched to remove an outer coat, jacket, or gloves. Officers also have legal powers to require individuals to remove more clothing. This is commonly referred to as “strip searching”. Strip...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Aug 12, 2022 | Crime
The government has made it illegal to carry out, offer or aid and abet virginity testing or hymenoplasty in any part of the UK under the Health and Care Act 2022. The offence carries a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment. What is virginity testing? Virginity...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Aug 12, 2022 | Court
The Law Commission of England and Wales has announced that it will launch a wide-ranging review of the laws governing appeals for criminal cases. The Commission has been asked by the Government to examine the need for reforms to the appeals system, to ensure that the...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Aug 9, 2022 | Information
A commitment to fairness for all parties is at the heart of a new Defendants Strategy, launched recently by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The three-year strategy addresses areas where suspects and defendants may face challenges when involved in the criminal...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Aug 9, 2022 | Court
The family of a 14-year-old boy who was chased through the streets, racially abused and stabbed to death are calling for new laws to improve diversity on juries, after his killer was cleared of murder. Dea-John Reid was killed in broad daylight in Birmingham in May...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Aug 3, 2022 | Crime
The Law Commission of England and Wales has recently proposed new recommendations to strengthen the law to protect victims of intimate image abuse. The law reforms, published following a detailed review, would make it easier to prosecute those who take or share...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jul 19, 2022 | Driving
A new section for self-driving vehicles has been added to the Highway Code. From the 1st of July new rules on the use of self-driving vehicles in Great Britain have come into force. The changes are included in a new section in The Highway Code. Currently only vehicles...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jul 19, 2022 | Information
Victims, members of the public and the media will be able to ask for a parole hearing to be heard in public for the first time, following law changes. From 21 July 2022, anyone including prisoners, victims, members of the public or the media will be able to ask the...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jul 14, 2022 | Drugs
A recent Court of Appeal case shed some light on the use of algorithms to measure the likely quantities of drugs supplied by a particular defendant. The algorithm has been designed by a police officer of the Metropolitan Police Service, in collaboration with an...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jul 2, 2022 | Information
It has been a busy week for new policy announcements, with these coming from the Ministry of Justice in the last few days. Prison leavers tagged to cut alcohol-fuelled crime Prison leavers will be ordered to wear a sobriety tag, which monitors alcohol levels in sweat,...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jul 2, 2022 | Law
The problem The general rule for attributing liability to companies in English and Welsh criminal law is the ‘identification principle’. This states that where a particular mental state is required, only the acts of a senior person representing the company’s...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jul 1, 2022 | Information
This week the disciplinary body for barristers suspended a barrister, Tim Raggatt QC, for 12 months. This means that he will be prevented from practising law during that period unless he succeeds in appealing the decision. The conduct arose in a criminal case where Mr...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jun 23, 2022 | Information
The Justice Secretary has made no secret of the fact that he often disagrees with the stance taken by the independent Parole Board. Of course, the government has the right to challenge Board decisions in the courts and, on occasion, does win such challenges. Still, it...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | May 31, 2022 | Crime
The Home Office has reported that their ‘whole-system’ approach to violent crime is working while also announcing further funding to tackle serious violence. The press release states that Violence Reduction Units and ‘hotspot policing’...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | May 31, 2022 | Information
The Home Office has published a report that summarises information from domestic homicide reviews (DHR) from October 2019 to 2020. The reviews are multi-agency reviews that are commissioned by community safety partnerships. They look into the deaths of adults that may...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | May 31, 2022 | Information
The Justice Secretary, Dominic Raab, has announced a reform package for the parole system. A “Root and Branch” review focussed on the following areas: • An evaluation of the parole reforms to date – looking at overall performance, the response to the...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | May 31, 2022 | Information
The College of Policing has published a guide to the use of live facial recognition technology. The guide is intended to ensure a consistent approach across forces with a clear legal and ethical framework. The College sets out five aims for the guidance: • live facial...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | May 28, 2022 | Information
For the first time, the Justice Secretary has intervened and overruled a decision of the Parole Board to move a prisoner to an open prison. In 1998 Stephen Ling was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Joanne Tulip on Christmas Day 1997. Ling had met Ms...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | May 26, 2022 | Crime
The common law has long had a concept of “reasonable chastisement” when it comes to disciplining children. A parent or person in loco parentis may administer reasonable corporal punishment, although concepts of “reasonableness” have narrowed....
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | May 13, 2022 | Information
The government has announced further projects as part of the Prison Leavers Project, which is a cross-government initiative helping offenders released from prison. Statistics demonstrate that offenders who are released from prison without an address are approximately...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | May 10, 2022 | Information
The Justice and Home Affairs Committee has published a report, “Technology Rules? The advent of new technologies in the justice system”. The development of artificial intelligence or AI has impacted most parts of our lives. We started with the use of...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | May 3, 2022 | Crime
The Environment Agency Chief Executive, Sir James Bevan, has made a speech on waste crime at an event with Let’s Recycle and the Environmental Services Association. The Executive said that he called waste crime the “new narcotics” six years ago. In...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Apr 29, 2022 | Law
The Attorney General has referred questions of law to the Court Appeal, acting in her role as the Guardian of the Public Interest. The questions concern the proper scope of defences to criminal charges that arise from protests and what directions should be given to...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Apr 22, 2022 | Information
The Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, has announced a consultation on the issue of whether those convicted of drug driving should have to undergo rehabilitation. Those convicted of drink driving, as opposed to drug driving, are usually offered the drink driver...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Apr 14, 2022 | Information
An unusual case recently came before the Upper Tribunal, considering an issue under the Forfeiture Act 1982. The forfeiture rule says that a person cannot benefit from their own wrongdoing, especially if that wrongdoing results in the death of another person. The rule...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Apr 10, 2022 | Law
The Sentencing Council is an independent body promoting greater consistency in sentencing while maintaining the independence of the judiciary. The Council is responsible for developing sentencing guidelines for use by the judiciary and criminal justice professionals...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Apr 5, 2022 | Information
Europol has issued a report on the way criminal networks have adapted to new opportunities and demand for products generated by the pandemic. The Intellectual Property Crime Theft Assessment 2022 was produced by Europol and the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO)....
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Mar 29, 2022 | Information
The House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts has published a report on reducing the backlog in criminal courts. The committee is appointed by the House of Commons to examine the accounts “showing the appropriation of the sums granted by Parliament to meet...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Mar 23, 2022 | Levy & Co
As you may have read in the news, no-fault divorce is set to come into law following the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill receiving Royal Assent last year. From 6th April 2022, spouses will be able to end their marriage without having to provide a reason for...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Mar 21, 2022 | Information
A Bill is progressing through Parliament to set up a register of overseas entities and their beneficial owners and require overseas entities who own land to register in certain circumstances. It also makes provisions about unexplained wealth orders and sanctions. The...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Mar 7, 2022 | Levy & Co
Sam Nundy, litigation manager at Levy & Co in which our client was charged causing death by careless driving. Barry Gilbert, of 2 Bedford Row Chambers was instructed Counsel. The allegation was that our client was undertaking a manoeuvre in her vehicle during...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Mar 4, 2022 | Crime
A new criminal law to tackle Revenge Porn was introduced in 2015 in England & Wales as part of the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill. Section 33 covers the sharing of private sexual materials in either images or films of another person without their consent with...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Feb 22, 2022 | Information
When the Minister responsible for Whitehall efficiency and counter-fraud resigned in January, he mentioned lax oversight of the Bounce Bank Loan Scheme BBLS. Much has also been said in the press about frauds surrounding the scheme and losses from similar schemes being...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Feb 22, 2022 | Information
A number of cases have hit the news recently relating to scams or frauds carried out using Tinder. The Tinder app is available in nearly two hundred countries, with an average of 1.6 billion “swipes” per day. With 50 million users, there is a wide audience...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Feb 5, 2022 | Phones
New regulations come into force on 25th March 2022, called the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations 2022. These regulations amend the definition of hand-held devices; these are the definitions that will be used to govern the use of...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Feb 3, 2022 | Information
The Treasury Committee has published a report on fraud scams and economic crime. The Committee is appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of HM Treasury, HMRC and associated public bodies such as the Bank of England and...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jan 28, 2022 | Driving
A joint report from the Law Commission of England and Wales and the Scottish Law Commission has been published. The topic is automated vehicles and makes recommendations for the safe and responsible introduction of self-driving vehicles. The Law Commission is the...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jan 28, 2022 | Information
The government has announced new proposals to address the way schools deal with avoidable absences. They refer to the current system as a postcode lottery with different approaches to sanctions across the country. Some local authorities did not issue any fines at all...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jan 22, 2022 | Information
The backlog in the criminal courts has been an issue for some time. Although the number of outstanding cases grew during the pandemic, there was already a backlog. The government has considered various ways of dealing with the issue, including temporary courts. The...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jan 22, 2022 | Information
The government has announced the recruitment of more than 500 staff to work in Community Payback. The aim is to be able to enable offenders to serve an extra 3 million hours of payback each year. The announcement isn’t clear on the reasoning behind the...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jan 20, 2022 | Law
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is seeking views on a proposed update to legal guidance on homicide, to assist prosecutors considering the public interest when dealing with suspects in deaths arising out of failed suicide pacts and so called ‘mercy killings’. A...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jan 20, 2022 | International
The government has introduced a “new world-leading law” to ensure consumers are better protected from hackers on their phones, smart TVs, fitness trackers, tablets and other devices that connect to the internet. Why? Research has shown that as many as four...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jan 14, 2022 | Information
The government has announced a 7% increase in policing funding, bringing the total to £1.1 billion. This amounts to a total of £16.9 billion for the financial year 2022/23. The increase is supposed to aid in the implementation of the government’s Beating Crime...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jan 14, 2022 | Information
The Law Commission has announced a project to examine how evidence is used in rape proceedings in order to dispel rape myths. The Law Commission is the statutory independent organisation established by the Law Commissions Act of 1965 to evaluate the law and provide...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jan 2, 2022 | Levy & Co
Eleanor Lucas, under the instruction of our very own Mary Buxton recently represented a young man charged with robbery and possessing a bladed article. In this particular case, the defendant allegedly approached the two complainants, ages 14 and 15, in a park,...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Dec 23, 2021 | Information
The government has released a new plan titled “The Prisons Strategy White Paper,” with the goal of providing a prison construction programme that will allow for the reform and rehabilitation of offenders. Modern jails, it appears, will reduce reoffending...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Dec 19, 2021 | Law
A public consultation on a new ‘Victims’ Law has begun, according to the Justice Secretary, which would ensure increased victim input during the criminal justice process. The Crown Prosecution Service, the police, and the courts would all have to account...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Dec 11, 2021 | Law
The Policing and Crime Act 2017 gained Royal Assent on January 31. By setting time restrictions for police bail, the Act makes major modifications to present pre-charge bail regulations. The act enacts a number of changes to existing rules involving PCCs, complaints...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Nov 4, 2021 | Law
The Sentencing Council is responsible for producing guidelines on sentencing for the judiciary and criminal justice professionals. The Council keeps the guidelines under review and publishes new ones where appropriate. A new consultation has been published looking at...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Nov 1, 2021 | Cases
Fasail Hussain was sentenced earlier this year for drugs offences. The sentencing judge imposed a total term of 2293 days imprisonment. Hussain had been released from prison on licence at the time that he committed the offences. When an offence is committed on...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Oct 15, 2021 | Crime
The Tory Party Conference has been taking place in Manchester, with several announcements being made that are relevant to the criminal justice system. Activism Climate change and environmental protesters have been in the news recently following their attempts to block...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Oct 15, 2021 | Information
The Tory Party Conference has been taking place in Manchester, with several announcements being made that are relevant to the criminal justice system. Wayne Couzens and violence against women Wayne Couzens, the former police officer who pleaded guilty to the murder of...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Oct 15, 2021 | Uncategorized
In 2016 Natasha Ednan-Laperouse bought a baguette from Pret a Manger; unbeknownst to Natasha, the bread contained sesame seeds. That ingredient was not listed on the packaging, and Natasha suffered a fatal allergic reaction. At the time, fresh food that was made and...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Oct 6, 2021 | Information
The Civil Nuclear Constabulary is a specialist armed police force that protects civil nuclear sites and nuclear materials in England, Scotland and Wales. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) recently sought views on potential legislation...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Oct 6, 2021 | Crime
There has always been a great deal of debate surrounding the issues of punishment and rehabilitation and the role of prison sentences in the justice system. Although some people can favour punishment and others rehabilitation, most people would suggest a mix of both....
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Sep 22, 2021 | Crime
Did you know that you do not have to enter a house to be guilty of burgling it? How? Burglary is defined as entering as a trespasser with either the intent to steal or actually stealing. It can also be committed by entering with the intent to cause grievous bodily...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Sep 22, 2021 | Crime
George Floyd dying in the USA in 2020 resulted in mass protests worldwide and marked a watershed in the fight against racism. In the aftermath of his death, the United Nations has produced a report analysing racial justice. The report found that the police use of...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Sep 4, 2021 | Drugs
The government has announced the set-up of a new drugs unit to help end illegal drug-related illnesses and deaths. To be known as the Joint Combating Drugs Unit, it will bring together multiple government departments to tackle drug misuse across society. Drug misuse...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Sep 4, 2021 | Crime
Dipu Ahad was a councillor in Newcastle when a lady approached him for assistance as her former partner was harassing her. She approached him due to his standing in the community, and he did assist at first. When the harassment from the former partner ceased, Ahad...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Sep 4, 2021 | Crime
The thin blue line refers to the concept of the police being the line that prevents society from descending into chaos, the blue referring to the colour of the uniform. The origin of the term came from 1854 when a red uniformed regiment in the Battle of Balaclava...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Sep 4, 2021 | Forensics
Facial recognition technology is the process by which a person can be identified from a digital facial image. A camera captures an image and produces a biometric template. A system is then used to compare the degree of similarity between two facial templates. Such...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Sep 2, 2021 | Information
The Sentencing Academy has produced a report reviewing ethnicity and custodial sentencing trends from 2009 to 2019. Over the years, several official reports have addressed the role of race and ethnicity in sentencing decisions. The current report looked at sentencing...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Sep 2, 2021 | Information
The Crown Prosecution Service and law enforcement agencies have agreed a consistent approach to the handling of illegal entry cases via small boats and lorries. Their guidance has been updated in the sections regarding small boats and larger vessels, passengers and...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Aug 17, 2021 | Cases
An unusual case was dealt with at the Court of Appeal recently concerning offences of rape. The victim, referred to as X, was the partner of Smith, who was the leader of a large-scale drugs conspiracy. Smith enjoyed watching X have sex with his friends; he was much...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Aug 17, 2021 | Cases
Benjamin Monk, a police officer, has been sentenced for the manslaughter of Dalian Atkinson, who died in 2016. Dalian Atkinson was an ex-footballer who had played for several clubs, including Manchester City and Aston Villa, before retiring from the game in 2001. In...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Aug 17, 2021 | Law
The Sentencing Council has the responsibility of developing and monitoring sentencing guidelines. The aim is to promote consistency in sentencing while maintaining the independence of the judiciary. Following a consultation period, the Council has published sentencing...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Aug 13, 2021 | Information
The Sentencing Council produces guidelines on sentencing for the judiciary and criminal justice professionals. The aim is to promote greater consistency in sentencing whilst maintaining the independence of the judiciary. The guidelines set sentencing ranges within the...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Aug 13, 2021 | Crime
The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill was introduced in the House of Lords in early July and awaits a second reading. The Bill is formed of thirteen parts, including provisions to: introduce measures for the protection of the police; introduce legislation for...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Aug 13, 2021 | Uncategorized
Southern Water has been fined £90 million after pleading guilty to 6.971 unpermitted sewage discharges which polluted rivers and coastal waters in Kent, Hampshire and Sussex. The offences were held to be caused by deliberate failings; they were widespread and long...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Aug 13, 2021 | Information
The Royal College of Psychiatrists has published a report on mentally disordered offenders in the criminal justice system. They provided a position statement on customising community sentencing for offenders with mental disorder/s. The report states that there are...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Aug 8, 2021 | Driving
Technology has been developed by the DVLA and the Home Office for police officers to use at the roadside to confirm the identity of a driver. The technology allows instant access to a photograph of the driver. The picture is held on the DVLA driver’s database,...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Aug 6, 2021 | Illegal Weapons
Possession of an offensive weapon is an offence if it is in public and without lawful authority or reasonable excuse. A weapon can be offensive as a matter of course (it is made for use of causing injury), adapted for such a purpose, or not adapted but carried with...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jul 12, 2021 | Information
Natural England (and Natural Resources Wales) is the government’s advisor for the natural environment in England and Wales. Established in 2006, its purpose is to help conserve, enhance and manage the natural environment. It enforces the laws that protect...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jul 12, 2021 | Crime
The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 introduced a new offence which came into effect on 29th June 2021. Section 69 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 creates a new offence of threatening to disclose a private sexual photograph or film in which another individual appears, and by...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jul 12, 2021 | Information
In 2015 reforms were passed to allow some of the National Probation Service responsibilities to be dealt with by private companies. Known as Community Rehabilitation Companies, or CRCs, the companies were responsible for low to medium risk offenders while probation...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jul 12, 2021 | Crime
On the 5th July 2021, certain provisions of the Offensive Weapons Act 2019 come into force in specific areas for a period of 14 months. The area in question is the “metropolitan police district”, which consists of Greater London, excluding the City of...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jul 1, 2021 | Information
You may have heard the name Daniel Morgan being mentioned in the media recently. Daniel was a private investigator who would carry out extensive work for the News of the World. He was found murdered in 1987 in a car park with an axe embedded in his head, with no...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jun 24, 2021 | Crime
The Government’s End to End Review of the Criminal Justice System Response began in 2019. The purpose was to look at evidence across the system, from reporting rape to the police through to court outcomes, to understand what was happening in cases of adult rape....
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jun 17, 2021 | Illegal Weapons
A new draft sentencing guideline for the offence of importing prohibited or restricted firearms has been published for consultation. There are no current guidelines in respect of these offences, although there are eight current guidelines for offences under the...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jun 14, 2021 | Information
The Law Commission is seeking views on corporate criminal liability. The Commission is an independent statutory body that keeps the law in England and Wales under review. The Commission recommends reform where it is needed to ensure the law is fair, modern, simple and...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jun 14, 2021 | Information
The Sentencing Council has announced a consultation on the revision of sentencing guidelines for domestic, non-domestic and aggravated burglary offences. The existing burglary definitive guideline was the second to be developed by the Sentencing Council and came into...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jun 6, 2021 | Information
A former premier league footballer, Shayne Bradley, pleaded guilty to stalking a former girlfriend. It was said he followed her, watched her house, sent mails and made abusive phone calls. He hid in hedges near her home and set up a fake dating profile to make...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | May 23, 2021 | Information
More than 85,000 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) have been issued for breaches of the Covid restrictions in England since March 2020. What is a fixed penalty notice? An FPN allows a penalty to be paid instead of being prosecuted and risking a criminal conviction. Fast...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | May 21, 2021 | Cases
The offence of controlling and coercive behaviour has been on the statute books for a few years now but has recently hit the headlines. Ruth Dodsworth is an ITV Wales presenter who met her ex-husband, Jonathan Wignall, in 2001. She became the primary income earner...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | May 19, 2021 | Crime
Draft revised sentencing guidelines have been produced to reflect recent Court of Appeal judgments. The guidelines clarify sentencing guidance for cases where no sexual activity occurs or where the targeted child does not exist. The revised guidelines are subject to...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | May 17, 2021 | Information
In 2006 the Association of Chief Police Officers, known as ACPO, founded a Criminal Records Office, now known as ACRO. The intention was for ACRO to organise the management of criminal record information and improve links between the records and biometric information....
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | May 14, 2021 | Cases
An evidence-based practice team from HM Prison and Probation Services have produced a report entitled “An evaluation of a brief intervention to reduce re-offending among women serving short sentences.” Over 12 months, a study was made of 255 women who were...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | May 11, 2021 | Information
The Competition and Markets Authority intervened with Facebook to combat fake and misleading reviews on the site. At the beginning of last year, Facebook agreed to “better identify, investigate and respond to fake and misleading reviews”. As a result of...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | May 6, 2021 | Information
Every prisoner is given a security category. For female prisoners, there are only two options, closed or open condition. For male prisoners, there are four categories, A to D. What do the categories mean? Female prisoners: Closed conditions are for female prisoners...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Apr 30, 2021 | Court
During the Covid pandemic, there have been significant limits and halts to prison visits. Once we are out of lockdown, there should be a gradual return to standard visits, so what happens and what are the rules? The Prison Rules, in particular Rule 35, set out the...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Apr 23, 2021 | Crime
Ofsted has announced a review into sexual abuse in schools. The review will consider the processes that schools, and colleges have in place regarding whether they are good enough to allow pupils to report abuse freely. Why conduct a review? A website,...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Apr 20, 2021 | Cases
The Criminal Cases Review Commission referred several cases to the Court of Appeal, which involved allegations of public order related to trade union activity. They included the case of the actor Ricky Tomlinson who had been convicted in 1973 of conspiracy to...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Apr 12, 2021 | Cases
What is bite mark evidence? A bite mark is a pattern produced by the indentations of the teeth into any substance capable of being marked. It is argued that a bite mark can be thought of as a tool mark and that they are unique to the individual, like a fingerprint....
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Apr 6, 2021 | Law
Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, said it was the introduction of the most significant overhaul of the system in decades. The aim appears to be to prevent illegal entry into the UK, especially when people smugglers or trafficking is involved. What are the proposals?...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Mar 30, 2021 | Levy & Co
Steven Levy and Rhys Rosser have successfully appealed against sentence imposed on a company for breaching a tree preservation order, as well as failing to comply with stop notices. Rhys and Steven were able to reduce the financial penalty from £250,000 to £120,000...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Mar 28, 2021 | Law
This week saw the new series of the BBC’s Line of Duty hit our screens, with another battle ahead for the police against serious organised crime. For those new to this drama, the first episode may well have been very confusing. The episode was clouded in layers...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Mar 20, 2021 | Cases
What is good character? As far as the criminal courts are concerned, a person of good character is usually someone without convictions or cautions recorded against them. It is of particular relevance in a trial situation as the court will consider good character in...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Mar 19, 2021 | Crime
The government has announced what it has called a “world-first scheme” to track certain offenders as they are released from prison. The proposal will make those convicted of burglary, theft or robbery wear a GPS tag on release from prison. The scheme...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Mar 18, 2021 | Cases
More prosecution casework is carried out locally by prosecutors based in regional hubs. For some cases, the position is entirely different, and a specialised team of prosecutors takes over. Specialist Casework – Criteria The Crown Prosecution Service produces...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Mar 15, 2021 | Court
The Criminal Cases Review Commission began its work on 31 March 1997. It was created by the Criminal Appeal Act 1995, 25 years ago. It came into being after some appalling miscarriages of justice under the previous system of consideration by Home Office ministers....
by Levy Solicitors | Mar 9, 2021 | Crime
Police forces must explain the disproportionate use of police powers such as stop and search and use of force on Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people or risk losing the trust of the communities they serve, a report published today has found. The Police Service...
by Levy Solicitors | Mar 8, 2021 | Information
On 1 April 2020, The Release of Prisoners (Alteration of Relevant Proportion of Sentence) Order 2020 came into force. This statutory instrument’s effect was to alter the early release provisions for some offenders receiving relatively determinate lengthy...
by Levy Solicitors | Mar 5, 2021 | Information
A number of the definitive guidelines published by the Sentencing Council direct sentencers to consider whether the victim of an offence has suffered severe psychological harm. In some guidelines, that question has to be considered at step 1 of the sentencing process:...
by Levy Solicitors | Feb 27, 2021 | Information
Currently, all parole hearings are held in private – this is set out in legislation in the Parole Board Rules. Following a consultation exercise, the government has now committed to opening up the hearings and allowing public access. Legislative change is expected in...
by Levy Solicitors | Feb 26, 2021 | Data Protection
A vast number of cases are awaiting a criminal trial that will rely, to a greater or lesser extent, on the admissibility of communications made via the supposedly highly encrypted Encrochat service. The Court of Appeal has now issued a ruling following preliminary...
by Levy Solicitors | Feb 20, 2021 | Court
The British Broadcasting Corporation (‘BBC’) found itself in the embarrassing position of being fined £28,000 this week after admitting being in contempt of Court. Why was the BBC in trouble? On the morning of 17 November 2020, the BBC made a video and...
by Levy Solicitors | Feb 18, 2021 | Cases
Ano-genital findings, namely signs of injury or other non-natural interference, often form part of child abuse prosecutions. In recent years new research has cast doubt on some old beliefs, and it may be the case that some convictions are unsafe. The most recent...
by Levy Solicitors | Feb 15, 2021 | Drugs
New sentencing guidelines for some drugs offences will come in to force on 1 April 2021 and will apply to all cases sentenced on or after that date. The update is to reflect modern drug offending and new guidelines for offences created by the Psychoactive Substances...
by Levy Solicitors | Feb 6, 2021 | Information
Very often in criminal cases, several witnesses give similar and sometimes almost identical evidence. At first blush, if all the witnesses were at the same place, at the same time and witnessing the same event, surely that is to be expected? But if we pause for a...
by Levy Solicitors | Feb 6, 2021 | Information
It is often said that the function of a Judge during a jury trial, is to act as referee as between prosecution and defence. Whilst a Judge is not entirely side-lined the expectation is that no bias will be displayed against any one party. When a Judge steps over the...
by Levy Solicitors | Jan 21, 2021 | Information
In response to the Coronavirus pandemic, the government introduced changes to the custody time limit regulations that extended the custody time limits in the Crown Court by two months to address ongoing delays in the criminal justice system worsened during the...
by Levy Solicitors | Jan 14, 2021 | Information
The licensing of air weapons is different across the UK: In England and Wales there is no need to acquire a licence to hold an air weapon. In Scotland air weapons owners need a specific air weapons licence. In Northern Ireland air weapons owners need a firearms...
by Levy Solicitors | Jan 5, 2021 | Information
In a recent case, a defendant was acquitted of sexual assault, the Attorney General referred the case to Court to look at a point of law. The question asked was: “Is it necessary for the prosecution to prove, as an element of the offence of sexual assault, not...
by Levy Solicitors | Jan 5, 2021 | Laws
The Policing and Crime Act 2017 introduced the power for police to release suspects while under investigation rather than placing them on police bail. Before the Act, a suspect would be released on police bail, with or without conditions, with a date and time to...
by Levy Solicitors | Jan 5, 2021 | Crime
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) refers to a broad range of conditions which are characterised by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviours, speech and non-verbal communications. Autism is generally a hidden disability, and it may not be immediately apparent...
by Levy Solicitors | Jan 5, 2021 | Crime
There is a criminal offence of intentionally assisting offences believing one or more will be committed. Jordan Atkinson was charged with this offence and sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment. The offence he assisted was wounding with intent to cause grievous...
by Levy Solicitors | Jan 5, 2021 | Crime
Most people have heard of confiscation orders, usually in the context of drugs offences. After sentence, proceeds of crime hearings can be held, resulting in a confiscation order being made to recover the proceeds of the crime. What some may not be aware of is that it...
by Levy Solicitors | Dec 27, 2020 | Information
Modern Slavery There is a defence under section 45 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 for a person who is compelled to do an act, where that compulsion is as a result of slavery or exploitation, and a reasonable person in the same position with the same characteristics...
by Levy Solicitors | Dec 23, 2020 | Cases
Manslaughter and the ‘PC Harper Case’ The death of PC Harper has been in the news again recently. He died after he was dragged behind a car that was fleeing from the scene of a theft. Unusually, at the same time that the Attorney General applied for leave to refer all...
by Levy Solicitors | Dec 15, 2020 | Crime
Rape Myths The Crown Prosecution Service recently produced new guidance for prosecutors considering rape charges. The new guidance was said to help tackle rape myths and stereotypes, several of which were referenced. How much of an issue are rape myths? According to...
by Levy Solicitors | Dec 11, 2020 | Law
Firearms – New sentencing guidelines Eight new guidelines have been published for Firearms offences following an earlier consultation. The guidelines will come into force on 1 January 2021. What are sentencing guidelines? These are guidelines that must be...
by Levy Solicitors | Dec 4, 2020 | Information
Custody time limits & Covid19 Whenever a person is remanded in custody in criminal proceedings, a time limit is set within which the trial must be concluded. The Covid lockdown meant that trials were temporarily suspended leading to issues with custody time...
by Levy Solicitors | Nov 30, 2020 | Crime
[Image credit: fullstoppr/13256567] E-scooters Did you know that e-scooters fall within the definition of a motor vehicle? You would not be alone if you said no. Due to the growing popularity of e-scooters and general ignorance in respect of the laws governing them,...
by Levy Solicitors | Nov 29, 2020 | Illegal Weapons
Firearms A firearms consultation has been launched this week to seek views on enhanced security for powerful rifles, introducing licensing controls on miniature rifle ranges, and tougher controls on ammunition. Why is a consultation taking place? There have already...
by Levy Solicitors | Nov 19, 2020 | Court
Reviewing a sentence If the Attorney General believes that a sentence is “unduly lenient”, or too soft as the newspapers may say, she can ask for the case to be referred back to court to be reconsidered. This is what happened to Taha Amin. He pleaded...
by Levy Solicitors | Nov 13, 2020 | Court
It wasn’t me! It is often the case that a defendant does not dispute that a crime has been committed but denies any participation. In such cases, it will be not only essential to challenge any evidence that points to the defendant as being guilty but also look...
by Levy Solicitors | Oct 31, 2020 | Court
Having the Last Word – Closing Speeches The closing speech is a significant opportunity for the defence to make a plea to the jury as to why a not guilty verdict ought to be returned. The speech, which will follow any prosecution closing, allows the defence to...
by Levy Solicitors | Oct 28, 2020 | Cases
Human trafficking as a defence In a recent case an appellant, referred to only as “V” pleaded guilty to producing cannabis and was sentenced to 26 months’ detention. He appealed against his conviction. The first issue you may think of is that he pleaded guilty,...
by Levy Solicitors | Oct 23, 2020 | Cases
Planning Law – An Expensive Business It can be quite tempting to ignore planning laws in the hope that changes you make to buildings and environment will not be noticed. In our experience, it is quite surprising just how often these breaches come to the attention of...
by Levy Solicitors | Oct 23, 2020 | Crime
Rape Prosecutions Newspapers regularly report that the number of rape prosecutions are low or falling. The Crown Prosecution Service has now published new draft legal guidance for prosecutors on “rape myths and stereotypes” as part of the revision of...
by Levy Solicitors | Oct 14, 2020 | Law
Covert Human Intelligence Sources The Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Bill passed its second reading in the House of Commons. The MP who is Minister for Security, James Brokenshire, set out the purposes of the Bill during the Second Reading...
by Levy Solicitors | Oct 13, 2020 | Information
Search Warrants The Law Commission has recommended reforms that it says will reduce the number of unlawful search warrants being issued, and to assist in the collection of evidence and investigation of crime. Currently, a police officer or other investigator applies...
by Levy Solicitors | Oct 7, 2020 | Information
Covid, Self-Isolation and Employer Duties The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Self-Isolation) (England) Regulations 2020 came into effect on 28 September 2020. The regulations: prohibits an employer from allowing a worker to attend any place (except the...
by Levy Solicitors | Sep 26, 2020 | Cases
Memory Fallibility In the criminal courts, we are seeing an ever-increasing number of cases where the court hears evidence from witnesses recounting what apparently happened some years earlier. Of course, in many cases, some of that evidence would have been recorded...
by Levy Solicitors | Sep 26, 2020 | Information
Hate crime – a change of emphasis The Law Commission is considering proposals to reform hate crime laws. Hate crime is where a victim is targeted, perhaps for an assault, criminal damage or harassment, based on a protected characteristic. What are protected...
by Levy Solicitors | Sep 17, 2020 | Information
A Smarter Approach to Sentencing? This is the name of the paper presented to Parliament that proposes changes to the sentencing and release frameworks in the criminal justice system. The paper sets out the “problems” they have identified in the system as...
by Levy Solicitors | Sep 17, 2020 | Law
Law Commission advises the government to get tough on online abuse The Law Commission, which advises the government on law reform has published a report advising changes to laws covering online abuse. Online abuse is covered in the ‘communications offences’ found in...
by Levy Solicitors | Sep 8, 2020 | Court
Recovery plan for the criminal courts In March, nearly 50% of courts were closed, and jury trials were halted to reduce interaction between court users dramatically. Although 90% of courts have re-opened there is a backlog of cases. The government has announced a...
by Levy Solicitors | Sep 5, 2020 | Crime
Indictments – The Basics An analysis of criminal appeals reveals that indictment errors, often undetected at the trial stage, can lead to significant injustice. However, the Court of Appeal will not quash a conviction merely because there was some unfairness in...
by Levy Solicitors | Sep 3, 2020 | International
Secrets and Spies The Official Secrets Act protects the United Kingdom from spying and leaks. The legislation dates back to 1911, 1920, 1939 and was last updated in 1989. Since then, there have been many advances in data technology and communications affecting the...
by Levy Solicitors | Aug 31, 2020 | Court
‘Lurking Doubt’ as a Ground of Appeal The idea of lurking doubt as a ground of appeal was first identified in the case of Cooper [1969] 1 QB 267 when the Court held: ‘…we are indeed charged to allow an appeal against conviction if we think that...
by Levy Solicitors | Aug 27, 2020 | Crime
Knives – Cash for Surrender The Offensive Weapons Act 2019 makes provision for the surrender of certain weapons. Sections 44, 46, 54 and 55 of the Act amend various pieces of legislation with the effect that it becomes an offence to possess certain dangerous...
by Levy Solicitors | Aug 26, 2020 | Information
Pandemics, Covid and Fraud Legal experts are warning that an onslaught of new cases is inevitable for the Serious Fraud Office amid the coronavirus-prompted recession. “I envisage that much more serious fraud will be uncovered in the next six to 12 months. The...
by Levy Solicitors | Aug 14, 2020 | Crime
Fighting for a Suspended Prison Sentence In many cases, despite the fact an offence is serious enough for a custodial sentence to be imposed, this can be avoided if the court can be persuaded to suspend the prison sentence. Which length of sentence can be suspended?...
by Levy Solicitors | Aug 13, 2020 | Information
Surveillance Society – Court of Appeal Puts Brakes on Police Scheme Several police forces have been using facial recognition technology to detect suspects. Cameras placed in public places can scan thousands of faces as they pass by, matching those images with...
by Levy Solicitors | Aug 7, 2020 | Court
Jurors – When They Misbehave Jurors take an oath to try a case solely on the evidence heard in court, to do otherwise risks a significant miscarriage of justice. At the outset of every criminal trial, and often at frequent points during it, a Judge will remind...
by Levy Solicitors | Aug 6, 2020 | Law
Coronavirus and Custody Time Limits – Some Good News Custody time limits dictate the length of time that someone can be held in custody before the start of the trial. These rules are designed to ensure all persons are kept in custody for indefinite periods...
by Levy Solicitors | Aug 4, 2020 | Information
Court Clarifies Release Provisions The High Court this week confirmed that the new release provisions, applying to some offenders, operate retrospectively. The court was hearing a challenge to the Terrorist Offenders (Restriction of Early Release) Act 2020, which...
by Levy Solicitors | Jul 24, 2020 | Cases
Sexual Offences and the Issue of Consent A vast number of sexual offence cases revolve around the issue of consent. In everyday terms, the ‘consent issue’ should be straightforward, either someone did, or did not, consent to sexual intimacy. In real life,...
by Levy Solicitors | Jul 23, 2020 | Information
Sentencing Offenders Suffering from a Mental Disorder A new guideline for sentencing offenders with mental disorders, developmental disorders and neurological impairments has been published by the Sentencing Council. The new ‘Overarching principles: Sentencing...
by Levy Solicitors | Jul 17, 2020 | Cases
No Free Ride for Private Prosecutors A peculiar aspect of the criminal costs regime is that a private prosecutor can apply for their costs to be paid by the State, regardless of whether they win or lose the case. This situation allows persons to pursue prosecutions...
by Levy Solicitors | Jul 10, 2020 | Cases
Sentencing – Beware the Cliff Edge Ellis Thomas pleaded guilty to a relatively minor public order offence and was sentenced to a community penalty. This penalty becomes the subject of Court of Appeal proceedings due to the following set of facts: “It was...
by Levy Solicitors | Jul 1, 2020 | Information
Modern Policing – Necessary Restraint or Unlawful Violence? We frequently need to consider the use of force by police officers when arresting or otherwise dealing with suspects. In the year ending March 2018, there were 469,000 recorded incidents of the use of...
by Levy Solicitors | Jun 24, 2020 | Court
Jury Trials and Covid 19 In a startling announcement, Justice Secretary Robert Buckland admitted that the right to a jury trial is in his sights and might be curtailed in a few weeks time. Before the Coronavirus pandemic, the Crown Court case backlog was approximately...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jun 19, 2020 | Cases
Publishing Hate Material – Tough Sentences Can Follow The recent case of Jay Davison acts as a stark reminder of the consequences that can flow if hate material is published. Davison was convicted of three offences of publishing material with intent to stir up...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jun 16, 2020 | Information
A Summer of Protest? As we slowly exit the Covid19 ‘lockdown’ we have seen several protests in major cities. As life moves toward a more ‘normal’ footing, whatever that may be, and as we enter the Summer months, protest action may likely...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jun 10, 2020 | Law
When Will I Be Sentenced? In cases where there is more than one defendant, it is a common scenario that one of more pleads guilty, perhaps at an early stage, but others continue their case to trial. A question then arises as to whether those who have pleaded guilty...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jun 8, 2020 | Crime
Damage of Statues – Sentencing Implications On Sunday 7 June protesters in Bristol tore down the statue of Edward Colston and swiftly deposited it in the local harbour. The statute had been in situ for 125 years and had previously attracted a petition of over...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jun 5, 2020 | Crime
Reporting restrictions Although there is a general principle of open justice, that those who appear in court can be reported on, there are some exceptions. It is a contempt of court to publish anything to the public which creates a substantial risk that the course of...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | Jun 3, 2020 | Crime
Postal Offences As the Coronavirus crisis has forced almost everyone to spend more time at home, home deliveries have rocketed as people have been forced to shop online. While this means that many people will be at home to receive deliveries, there have been reports...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | May 29, 2020 | Crime
Increase in sentences for aggravation related to disability, sexual orientation or transgender identity Section 146 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 states that if the following circumstances are present, it must be treated as an aggravating factor during sentencing,...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | May 26, 2020 | Information
Firearms – Doing Nothing is Not an Option On 20 October 2018 police on uniformed patrol identified a vehicle of interest to them. They followed it for a short distance before causing it to stop. A Mr Jenkins was the driver and a female, Ms Price, was in the...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | May 23, 2020 | Information
Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Bill Following on from the terror attacks at Fishmongers Hall on 29 November 2019 and in Streatham on 2 February 2020 the government has announced the next phase of its tougher approach to terrorism offences. What are the aims of this...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | May 15, 2020 | Information
Young Offenders – A Change to Prison Discipline Rules Changes to the prison adjudication rules came in to force on 15 May 2020 and will remain in place until 25 March 2022, unless revoked earlier. The changes are in response to the Coronavirus pandemic. What has...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | May 7, 2020 | Driving
Penalty Points – Avoiding Double Counting For some new drivers, six penalty points mean resitting a driving test, for other drivers twelve points may mean disqualification. It is therefore vital to ensure that a single piece of driving is not unduly punished...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | May 7, 2020 | Information
Local Authority Prosecutions The local authority has the power to prosecute in respect of a number of types of crime. This could be certain types of benefit fraud, fly-tipping, fraudulent use of a blue badge, health and safety offences, noise nuisance, irregular...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | May 7, 2020 | Court
Terminating Rulings When a judge makes a ruling at a crown court trial relating to one or more of the offences faced, the prosecution may have a right to appeal against that ruling. The right to appeal against a terminating ruling is strictly conditional upon certain...
by Levy and Co Solicitors LLP | May 7, 2020 | Information
The Far Right & Terrorism When people hear reference to the far-right many would think of racism rather than terrorism. Alice Cutter and Mark Jones were members of the banned far-right group National Action along with Garry Jack, Daniel Ward and Connor Scothern....
by Levy Solicitors | May 7, 2020 | Information
Is Trial by Jury Going to be Abolished? For the last few weeks, since the Coronavirus ‘lockdown’, all jury trials in England and Wales have been stopped. This is not at all surprising given the scale of the pandemic and the requirement for social...
by Levy Solicitors | Apr 15, 2020 | Information
Will Coronavirus Be a ‘Get out of Jail’ Card? Before a prosecution is commenced, the Crown Prosecution Service must apply two distinct tests. The first is whether there is sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction; If not, the case does not...
by Levy Solicitors | Apr 14, 2020 | Law
Mitigation The dictionary definition of “to mitigate” is to lessen in force or intensity, to make less severe. Mitigation is the act of reducing how harmful, unpleasant or bad something is, something that causes the court to judge a crime to be less...
by Levy Solicitors | Mar 26, 2020 | Laws
Emergency Laws Now in Force On Wednesday 25th March 2020 the Coronavirus Bill completed all its parliamentary stages, and Royal Assent was signified, bringing in to force an unprecedented piece of emergency legislation. The purpose of the Coronavirus Act is to enable...
by Levy Solicitors | Mar 17, 2020 | Information
How We Are Handling COVID-19 With the recent outbreak of COVID-19, we understand the necessity of taking precautions to ensure personal health and safety. We know that legal matters continue to be important and are working round the clock to ensure that you will...
by Levy Solicitors | Mar 12, 2020 | Information
Intermediaries The use of intermediaries during criminal trials is becoming increasingly commonplace. An intermediary may be used to assist any witness, including a defendant, give evidence. The functions of an intermediary “Intermediaries are communication...
by Levy Solicitors | Mar 11, 2020 | Information
Criminal Justice and Coronavirus As the UK prepares to move into the ‘delay phase’, changes are expected to criminal justice procedure. So, what might be expected to change? Criminal Investigations In the event of any public disorder, work on low priority...
by Levy Solicitors | Mar 3, 2020 | Information
Social Media – A Dangerous Place for Professionals? Many professionals are held by their regulators to a higher standard than other members of the public. Conduct which may fall well short of being criminal in nature may nonetheless excite the interest of a...
by Levy Solicitors | Feb 26, 2020 | Forensics
Forensic Evidence The Forensic Science Regulator regulates forensic scientists in England and Wales. The Regulator ensures that the provision of forensic science evidence across the criminal justice system is subject to appropriate standards. The Regulator has...
by Levy Solicitors | Feb 20, 2020 | Information
Tougher approach to assaults on NHS staff Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has written to NHS staff voicing his concern in relation to the use of violence against emergency workers. Hancock’s approach mirrors that taken last year by police...
by Levy Solicitors | Feb 17, 2020 | Information
Prosecuting Without A ‘Victim’ We often get asked how prosecutions can proceed in the absence of cooperation from the victim or chief witness. The starting point is that no prosecution can go ahead unless there is a realistic prospect of conviction, but...
by Levy Solicitors | Feb 13, 2020 | Information
“Blackmail” – “…attempted murder of the soul.” A new series on Netflix, ‘The Stranger’, is receiving rave reviews, with viewers keen to discover the secret being kept from lawyer Adam Price, as the search continues for...
by Levy Solicitors | Feb 12, 2020 | Cases
Speeding and GPS – Does the camera lie? Peter Marrable was summonsed to court for speeding. The allegation was that he had driven at 72mph in a temporary 50mph zone. The police produced evidence of the speed from a ‘Trucam’ device that was approved,...
by Levy Solicitors | Feb 4, 2020 | Crime
End of automatic release for some persons convicted of terrorist offences On Sunday 1st February 2020 Sudesh Amman wore a fake suicide vest and stabbed two people in Streatham. Amman had only recently been released from a prison sentence imposed for spreading...
by Levy Solicitors | Jan 28, 2020 | Crime
Prison Contraband The government has announced further funding to strengthen security measures at several prisons. The funding will go towards advanced body scan technology, aimed at preventing drugs, weapons, mobile telephones and other prohibited items from entering...
by Levy Solicitors | Jan 22, 2020 | Driving
Driving Disqualifications The Sentencing Council is responsible for issuing guidelines on sentencing for the courts to follow. Guidelines must be followed unless it is in the interests of justice not to do so. New guidelines are now being proposed in respect of...
by Levy Solicitors | Jan 21, 2020 | Laws
Recording and Broadcasting in Court It has long been a criminal offence to take photographs or make recordings in court; even sketch artists have to sketch from memory rather than while in court. In 2011 an 85-year-old man was sent to prison for recording court...
by Levy Solicitors | Jan 13, 2020 | Crime
Date rape drugs and the law Reynhard Sinaga was sentenced to life imprisonment for the rape and sexual assault of 48 victims. The student is believed to have laced drinks with GHB to make his victims lose consciousness and have no recollection of what happened. He...
by Levy Solicitors | Jan 8, 2020 | Law
Prisoners Abroad – Help is Available The plight of a 19-year-old British lady hit the news last week, culminating in reports of her being sentenced by a Cypriot court for making what was said to be a false rape allegation. There are many features of this...
by Levy Solicitors | Jan 6, 2020 | Law
Notification Requirements – Removal A large number of people are subject to notification requirements under Part 2 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, many for an indeterminate period. The notification framework is often referred to as the ‘sex offender...
by Levy Solicitors | Jan 2, 2020 | Law
Interpreters Many people face court proceedings who do not necessarily have a detailed grasp of the English language. A defendant mustn’t be a mere observer of legal proceedings and that they, as fully as anyone not legally qualified can, participate fully. It...
by Levy Solicitors | Dec 31, 2019 | Crime
Giving False Information to the Police It is an offence to give false information to the police. Section 5(2) of the Criminal Law Act 1967 provides: ‘Where a person causes any wasteful employment of the police by knowingly making to any person a false report...
by Levy Solicitors | Dec 23, 2019 | Crime
It’s Christmas Time! But Also, Business As Usual For Us The festive season is a time to kick back and enjoy a little rest and recuperation before 2020 hits us all like a brick and life carries on as usual. While we will be hoping to enjoy some well-earned rest,...
by Levy Solicitors | Nov 27, 2019 | Information
Innocent and Angry – A Measured Response Required It is a common occurrence to come across suspects and defendants who fee extreme anger at being caught up in the criminal justice process. That anger sometimes spills over into the public domain, and the free...
by Levy Solicitors | Nov 20, 2019 | Cases
Playing Politics with Crime? We are in the midst of a general election, so it is perhaps not surprising that ‘law and order’ are featuring in the news as the main political parties fight for the popular vote. While as a firm, we do not offer any...
by Levy Solicitors | Nov 18, 2019 | Cases
The Pizza Alibi On 10th March 2001, HRH Prince Andrew is alleged to have met and been photographed with a lady who has accused the Prince of sexual misconduct. In a BBC interview, Prince Andrew throws ridicule on that suggestion and throws up two interesting...
by Levy Solicitors | Nov 13, 2019 | Law
Lies and Easy Money In a case this week involving Jet2 Holidays, Karl and Laura Hughes claimed that they had suffered sickness while on a package holiday. They said they had food poisoning as a result of eating contaminated food or drink or swimming in the hotel’s...
by Levy Solicitors | Nov 12, 2019 | Uncategorized
Tracking Violent Offenders A pilot is being carried out into electronic monitoring global positioning system. The aim of the pilot is to gain information to look at how existing and new electronic monitoring technologies could be used more effectively. A specific...
by Levy Solicitors | Nov 6, 2019 | Law
General Election 2019 – Don’t Get Caught Out The parliamentary session has come to an end, and we will go to the polls on 12th December 2019 to decide the political makeup of the next parliament. The Representation of the People Act 1983 creates a number...
by Levy Solicitors | Nov 4, 2019 | Crime
Investigating Death Cases involving the death of a person can have a devastating impact on all concerned. From our perspective, we often deal with people facing the gravest charges after an incident causing loss of life. The gravity of the proceedings can have a...
by Levy Solicitors | Oct 30, 2019 | Law
Unduly Lenient Sentences – Scheme to Be Extended The government has announced changes to the Unduly Lenient Sentence (‘ULS’) Scheme. There are certain offences where the prosecution (via the Attorney General) can ask the Court of Appeal to review a...
by Levy Solicitors | Oct 28, 2019 | Law
Getting Tough on Health and Safety A number of recent cases indicate an increasingly robust approach to health and safety law breaches. Company Director Robert Harvey was imprisoned for ten months following an accident where a fellow worker was crushed to death by an...
by Levy Solicitors | Oct 23, 2019 | Law
Terrorism Offences – Tougher Sentences on the Way The Sentencing Council is consulting on revised sentencing guidelines for several terrorism offences. This is on the face of it a surprising move given that a definitive guideline was only recently implemented....
by Levy Solicitors | Oct 21, 2019 | Law
Stop and Search The police, with the support of the Home Office, are making more extensive use of stop and search powers. This new approach is partly due to rising public and political concern about knife crime. A hitherto little-used power to extend the use of stop...
by Levy Solicitors | Oct 16, 2019 | Law
Public Order – New Sentencing Guidelines New sentencing guidelines for public order offences come in to force for adults sentenced on or after 1 January 2020. In August 2008, the Sentencing Guidelines Council published Magistrates’ Court Sentencing Guidelines...
by Levy Solicitors | Oct 14, 2019 | Alcohol
Drink or Drug Driving – The Second Sample In some cases, the police need to take either a blood or urine sample from a driver suspected of driving under the influence of drink or drugs. In almost all instances, the police opt for a blood sample. Part of the...
by Levy Solicitors | Oct 9, 2019 | Law
Firearms – Sentencing Reform The Sentencing Council is consulting on a new guideline for some of the most commonly prosecuted firearms offences. At the moment, guidance is to be found only in case law, and this can lead to a challenging sentencing exercise. The...
by Levy Solicitors | Oct 7, 2019 | Law
Diplomatic Immunity The somewhat arcane topic of diplomatic Immunity has hit the news headlines following the tragic death of 19-year-old Harry Dunn, as a result of a road traffic collision. It has been confirmed that the wife of an American diplomat has returned to...
by Levy Solicitors | Oct 2, 2019 | Law
Conservatives Signal Tougher Sentencing Regime At the Conservative Party Conference this week, the government indicated that it was to get tough on offenders who commit some of the most serious offences, with automatic release at the half-way point being removed in...
by Levy Solicitors | Oct 1, 2019 | Law
Are Your Rights An Illusion? Rights – A Mere Illusion? The EU has published a report, ‘Rights in practice: access to a lawyer and procedural rights in criminal and European arrest warrant proceedings’, that details the extent to which fundamental...
by Levy Solicitors | Sep 25, 2019 | Crime
Delayed Justice Janet Commins was born on 9 June 1960. On 7 January 1976, shortly after 7.00 pm, she left her home in Flint to meet friends at the local swimming baths. She left a note for her parents, as she often did, to say that she would be back at around 8.30 pm....
by Levy Solicitors | Sep 23, 2019 | Court
The Absent Witness In some instances, it is not convenient for a witness to be present in court to give evidence, generally because they live or work some distance away from the court, or some other good reason. There are legal provisions that cater for this scenario,...
by Levy Solicitors | Sep 17, 2019 | Crime
More Sentences at Risk of Prosecution Appeal The prosecution, via the Attorney General, has the right to ask the Court of Appeal to consider whether sentences for certain offences are unduly lenient. How does the scheme work? Anyone can ask the Attorney General to...
by Levy Solicitors | Sep 16, 2019 | Crime
Gait Analysis What is gait? Gait, quite simply, is how a person walks, the movement of limbs. How does this relate to criminal law? With the ever-increasing use of CCTV, the identification of offenders from footage is also increasing. Sometimes a face cannot clearly...
by Levy Solicitors | Sep 11, 2019 | Court
Jury Challenge It is a common feature of American courtroom drama that a defence attorney moves to remove a juror that they do not like the look of. Many clients wonder whether the same type of challenge can take place in an English courtroom. The Jury Pool In some...
by Levy Solicitors | Sep 9, 2019 | Cases
The Cut-Throat Defence A cut-throat defence is where one defendant gives evidence that is damaging to a co-defendant’s case, sometimes going as far as directly accusing the other person of the crime, while typically seeking to exonerate themselves. Such evidence...
by Levy Solicitors | Sep 5, 2019 | Drugs
Drugs, Prisons and Sentencing With many offences, the punishment may vary according to the context of the criminality. By way of example, violence in a domestic context will generally be treated more harshly than the same level of harm against a stranger (absent other...
by Levy Solicitors | Sep 3, 2019 | Court
A Bad Day in Court? Several newspapers recently pondered why ‘one woman is jailed after stealing just £3,000 but another who took £22,000 walks free.” The story was sparked by a tale of two defendants who appeared at the same court centre, on the same day,...
by Levy Solicitors | Sep 2, 2019 | Court
Sentencing and Delay – Can it work in your favour? There have been widespread reports in the press about spare courtroom capacity, with judicial sitting days at an all-time low. These reports correspond to our own experience. When court delay is combined with...
by Levy Solicitors | Sep 1, 2019 | Cases
Ten years for a double killing – look behind the headlines In a truly tragic case, Samantha Ford drowned her 23-month-old twins in the bath. Appearing at the Old Bailey for sentence, the Judge, Mr Justice Edis, handed down a 10-year sentence, causing widespread...
by Levy Solicitors | Aug 30, 2019 | Laws
Solicitors, Charlatans and the Internet We interchangeably use many terms to describe legal professionals: lawyers, solicitors, legal advisers, attorneys (an Americanism), a ‘brief’. There are countless others in common usage. Regrettably, this flexibility...
by Levy Solicitors | Aug 24, 2019 | Alcohol
Airports, Planes and Alcohol It has been reported in the press that 500 people have been arrested while drunk on a plane at British airports in the last three years. For many people a holiday begins once cases have been checked in, and what is the harm in that? It is...
by Levy Solicitors | Aug 10, 2019 | Crime
The Parole Board The Parole Board is an independent body that carries out risk assessments on prisoners serving certain sentences to determine whether they can be safely released into the community. When a person is considered to be fit for release it means that their...
by Levy Solicitors | Jul 31, 2019 | Court
Length of Sentence – Not Always a Surprise The Government has published new plans to make the roads safer for everyone. The plans include several changes for people at every stage of life, and also for more specialised drivers like HGV drivers and motorcycle riders....
by Levy Solicitors | Jul 30, 2019 | Driving
Road Safety Review – More New Laws? The Government has published new plans to make the roads safer for everyone. The plans include several changes for people at every stage of life, and also for more specialised drivers like HGV drivers and motorcycle riders. Children...
by Levy Solicitors | Jul 28, 2019 | Crime
Criminal Compensation Order The press has recently reported that children who were victims of serious sexual abuse have received paltry sums, £20 for example, as compensation from the courts. So, what exactly is a criminal compensation order? The court has a duty to...
by Levy Solicitors | Jul 25, 2019 | Financial
Dirty money The Government has published the new Economic Crime Plan for the next three years. In it, they unveil their strategy for dealing with all types of economic crime, such as money laundering, fraud, market abuse, and bribery. What is economic crime, and why...
by Levy Solicitors | Jul 22, 2019 | Cases
Prison rehabilitation and employment Recently the government announced incentives for prisoners in custody focussing on positive reinforcements. In doing so, the longer-term aim is to assist rehabilitation and prevent re-offending. A further announcement has been made...
by Levy Solicitors | Jul 20, 2019 | Crime
Disqualified Directors Recently, three men from Halifax were convicted after one of them was found to have run a company whilst disqualified. The other two were convicted of assisting him. If you’re thinking of trying to evade a director’s ban, be aware that it can...
by Levy Solicitors | Jul 19, 2019 | Crime
Prisoner Benefits and Incentives Over the next six months, benefits and incentives for prisoners are undergoing a change. New rules place emphasis on positive reinforcements – praising prisoners for behaving well – rather than punishment. The new Policy sets out the...
by Levy Solicitors | Jul 18, 2019 | Drugs
Why hasn’t Michael Gove been arrested? A question on many people’s lips since the former Justice Secretary admitted to using cocaine several times earlier in his career. So, could he face the legal consequences of this? Cocaine is a Class A drug, the most serious...
by Levy Solicitors | Jul 16, 2019 | Data Protection
Data Protection – A Shifting Focus Over the last few years, we have seen many matters that would previously have been prosecuted before the criminal courts, move into the jurisdiction of other bodies. What we see as a result is a range of specialist regulators best...
by Levy Solicitors | Jun 29, 2019 | Crime
Prison is supposed to be hard Prison is supposed to be hard. It is, after all, a punishment. But it’s also designed to help people address their behaviour and stop them re-offending. When imprisonment leads to more offending, it isn’t working. The specific problems...
by Levy Solicitors | Jun 10, 2019 | Law
Finn’s Law – What It Means Finn’s Law – What It Means With much fanfare, ‘Finn’s Law’ came in to force on 8th June 2019, following the implementation of the Animal Welfare (Service Animals) Act 2019. The 2019 Act makes a straightforward amendment to section 4 of the...
by Levy Solicitors | Jun 7, 2019 | Driving
Driving Bans – Not Just for Traffic Offences Most people know that a driving ban may follow for serious road traffic offences or a series of lower-level traffic crimes as a result of ‘totting up’. Few of our client’s know that disqualifications can follow in other...
by Levy Solicitors | May 18, 2019 | Driving
X-Factor, Coming to a Motorway Near You Soon The government has passed legislation which permits for the first time a new traffic camera which will assist in catching those motorists using closed lanes on the motorway network. The Secretary of State grants type...
by Levy Solicitors | May 5, 2019 | Driving
Speeding – How Fast is Too Fast? The idea of speed limits causes immense confusion, with many people believing that the speed limit is at least the minimum speed you should ordinarily drive at. Most of us have experienced the rage of a motorist behind us if we adhere...
by Levy Solicitors | May 4, 2019 | Forensics
Focus On Forensics Forensic evidence has dominated some of the news agenda this week, with outrage over the interrogation of complainant’s phones in sexual offence and other cases. In reality of course, if a police officer is to investigate a criminal offence fairly,...
by Levy Solicitors | Apr 24, 2019 | Court
What To Do If You Are Too Unwell To Attend Court Many people face very lengthy court proceedings, and it is therefore hardly unusual that on occasion a person may not be well enough to attend court. Despite this fact, courts are sceptical of alleged illness and unless...
by Levy Solicitors | Apr 17, 2019 | Law
Mental Health and Criminal Law Mental Health is a complicated business. Conditions are not easy to diagnose, doctors can disagree on which disorder a person is suffering from, or even if they have a mental health condition at all. Those with mental disorders might...
by Levy Solicitors | Apr 15, 2019 | Laws
Government Tightens Terrorism Laws The Manchester Arena bombing, the London Bridge attack, Shamima Begum. These are some examples of terrorism headlines in the past few years. The Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019 is the Government’s latest answer to...
by Levy Solicitors | Apr 15, 2019 | Court
Appeals from Beyond the Grave The Court of Appeal has handed down judgment in the case of R v Max Clifford, the disgraced celebrity PR guru who was convicted in 2014 of a number of sexual offences and sentenced to 8 years imprisonment. Clifford died in 2017, so why...
by Levy Solicitors | Apr 10, 2019 | Court
Legionnaires Disease – You Can Pay a Very High Price Faltec Ltd has been fined £1.18 million for two legionella outbreaks and a machine explosion after failing to comply with their Health and Safety obligations under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. Initially...
by Levy Solicitors | Mar 28, 2019 | Court
‘Hung Jury’ – Not as Bad as it Sounds Last week the Hillsborough trial involving ex-police officer David Duckenfield ended without reaching a conclusion; a number of papers reported that there was a ‘hung jury’ – so, what does that mean? In an ideal world, a jury will...
by Levy Solicitors | Mar 28, 2019 | Financial
Bankruptcy – Time to Stop Digging For many people being declared bankrupt represents either personal and/or business failure, bringing with it feelings of embarrassment, shame and anxiety. From a legal perspective, the story may not be over, as the law requires...
by Levy Solicitors | Mar 19, 2019 | Law
McKenzie Friends: When saving money can cost you a fortune The unimaginable has happened: you’ve been convicted of a crime you didn’t commit. The lawyers at your trial have told you that there is no hope of an appeal. You can’t afford more legal advice...
by Levy Solicitors | Feb 20, 2019 | Law
GPS Electronic Monitoring, Big Brother Will be Watching The government has announced a national rollout of GPS electronic tagging which will mean 24/7 location monitoring of those wearing the tag. The tag is now available in three Probation areas; the North West,...
by Levy Solicitors | Feb 13, 2019 | Court
What You can Expect as a Witness If you have provided a statement for the prosecution or for the defence you may be called to court to give evidence at the defendant’s trial. Is there help available for me? The Witness Service provide assistance for any witness who...
by Levy Solicitors | Feb 7, 2019 | Court
Causing Death by Dangerous Driving – Sentencing Issues In a recent case His Honour Judge Jeremy Richardson QC was faced with the task of sentencing 3 offenders for their part in causing the death of 4 people, and seriously injuring 3 others. The main offender...
by Levy Solicitors | Feb 2, 2019 | Law
Review of the Parole Board The Parole Board is an independent body that carries out risk assessments on prisoners serving certain sentences to determine whether they can be safely released into the community. When a person is considered to be fit for release it means...
by Levy Solicitors | Jan 21, 2019 | Court
Sleepwalking – Is It A Defence? You wake up one morning and the horror of the night before quickly unfolds. Blue lights and uniformed police officers greet you, search your house and find your girlfriend dead in the bathroom. You have no memory of anything happening...
by Levy Solicitors | Jan 16, 2019 | Court
Plead in Haste, Regret at Leisure It should go without saying that no plea ought to be entered in any criminal case unless and until the case has been appropriately considered. Regrettably, we see an increasing number of people, who have attended court alone, being...
by Levy Solicitors | Jan 10, 2019 | Crime
Soubry and the Nazi Slur – An Offence? Was it an offence to accuse Anna Soubry of being a Nazi whilst she was broadcasting on Sky News? Potentially, is the answer. The Public Order Act 1986 contains the most likely candidates for any prosecution, in sections 4, 4A,...
by Levy Solicitors | Jan 7, 2019 | Cases
Parental Dilemmas That Could Land You in Prison It is a nightmare scenario that potentially any parent could face. A child returns home, late at night in an agitated state. He hurriedly tells you that he has been in a fight, it wasn’t his fault, but someone has been...
by Levy Solicitors | Jan 2, 2019 | Court
A Simple Adjournment? In criminal practice and procedure, you might think that the humble adjournment is a relatively simple and straightforward matter, but you would be wrong. A little like buses, never available when you want one, yet, when you don’t want a case...
by Levy Solicitors | Dec 31, 2018 | Court
Will the Court Know About My Previous Convictions? If you are being sentenced for an offence, the court will be aware of, and may take into account, any convictions you have. Whether this has any impact upon the sentence passed will very much depend on the date of...
by Levy Solicitors | Dec 18, 2018 | Data Protection
Computer hacking Hacking has been in the news a great deal in the last couple of years, for example, the 2016 US Presidential Elections, the extradition case of Lauri Love and the hacking of user accounts of various large companies in order to steal personal...
by Levy Solicitors | Dec 11, 2018 | Crime
Stop and Search The power of the police to stop and search is currently in the media due to the rise in murders and serious crimes of violence involving the use of knives, particularly in London. A particular area of concern is the disproportionate use of search...
by Levy Solicitors | Dec 6, 2018 | Crime
Fly-tipping – ensuring all polluters pay We all know that fly-tipping is an offence, but did you know you commit an offence if you pass waste to someone who isn’t licensed? What do you mean by ‘waste’? This article is referring to household waste, for example, excess...
by Levy Solicitors | Nov 30, 2018 | Court
What Next for Sally? In a dramatic climax the jury returned guilty verdicts in the case of R v Sally Metcalfe, the hapless Coronation Street Councillor caught up in fraud, money laundering and bribery. As viewers will know, poor Sally appears to be a victim of...
by Levy Solicitors | Nov 28, 2018 | Law
Price and service transparency Price and service transparency As of 6 December 2018, law firms are required to publish information about certain price, service and regulatory matters. Who needs to publish information? An authorised firm or a sole practitioner must...
by Levy Solicitors | Nov 19, 2018 | Crime
Nuisance calls and the Information Commissioner’s Office Everyone has received a nuisance call, and they are a real nuisance to many, but how do your details become available, and what is being done about it? Who are the ICO? The Information Commissioner’s Office (the...
by Levy Solicitors | Nov 17, 2018 | Crime
Can I get a suspended prison sentence? A suspended sentence is a term of imprisonment that is suspended so that you do not go into custody immediately and will not go into custody if you comply with the conditions attached. Who can get a suspended sentence? In the...
by Levy Solicitors | Nov 7, 2018 | Cases
Offences Related to State Benefits There are two main offences that are prosecuted in relation to benefit fraud, one involves dishonesty, the other does not. The dishonesty offence It is an offence to dishonestly make a representation in order to obtain benefit, and...
by Levy Solicitors | Oct 29, 2018 | Cases
Forced Marriage Coercing someone into marrying another for some financial or societal benefit is illegal. In April of this year, three young women in Sheffield became subject to Forced Marriage Protection Orders. This case highlights the how embedded this type of...
by Levy Solicitors | Oct 16, 2018 | Animals
Focus on ‘Dangerous Dogs’ The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee’s report ‘Controlling dangerous dogs’ calls for a full-scale review of current dog control legislation and policy to better protect the public. The report was published on 17 October 2018. Is...
by Levy Solicitors | Oct 15, 2018 | Law
Publishing, or having for publication for gain, an obscene article Prosecuting those who publish obscene articles (an offence under section 2 of the Obscene Publications Act 1959) is hardly prudish, despite what certain commentators would argue. The maximum sentence...
by Levy Solicitors | Oct 14, 2018 | Court
Alexa – Witness for the Prosecution? On 29th January 2017, Christine Sullivan and her housemate were found murdered in Farmington, New Hampshire. Their bodies were discovered by the house owner, Dean Smoronk, who was Sullivan’s boyfriend. Timothy Verrill, an associate...
by Levy Solicitors | Oct 10, 2018 | Court
Can I get a reduced sentence by helping the police? You may have heard about ‘texts’ or a ‘Brown envelope to the Judge’, some of the names for the old system. If you helped the police a ‘text’ may be handed to the sentencing judge explaining that you had assisted and...
by Levy Solicitors | Oct 4, 2018 | Laws
Companies and Bribery Section 7 of the Bribery Act 2010 makes it an offence for a company to bribe another with the intent of obtaining or retaining business or to gain an advantage in business. The first conviction after trial for an offence under this section was...
by Levy Solicitors | Oct 3, 2018 | Court
Contempt of Court The case of Tommy Robinson, or to give him his real name, Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, has brought this issue into the public eye, but what is it all about? What is contempt of court? The interesting thing about contempt of court is the many ways in which...
by Levy Solicitors | Sep 26, 2018 | Cases
Private Probation Providers Fail Offenders and Society A few years ago, the National Probation Service was split into two. The exiSting service maintained its supervision of high-risk offenders, mainly those serving lengthy sentences or with complex rehabilitation...
by Levy Solicitors | Sep 20, 2018 | Cases
Is being sexist or misogynist a crime? The answer is sometimes, but not always. Two years ago, Nottinghamshire Police decided to label misogyny and offences targeting women as hate crime or hate incidents. Two local universities recently undertook a report entitled...
by Levy Solicitors | Sep 19, 2018 | Data Protection
Do I have to give the police my phone PIN? The simple answer is no, but there are potential consequences in certain circumstances. When can they ask? It is arguable that the police could ask you whenever they wanted for your PIN, you can always say no. The critical...
by Levy Solicitors | Sep 10, 2018 | Drugs
The cannibal drug that makes you smell of vinegar and prawns What are you talking about? Monkey dust is a synthetic drug, a type of new psychoactive substance. It is similar to other cathinone drugs such as MDPV, methylone and magic crystals. In the USA it is known as...
by Levy Solicitors | Sep 6, 2018 | Cases
Child Cruelty – New Sentencing Guideline The Sentencing Council has published a new guideline for how those guilty of child cruelty offences should be sentenced. It covers three offences: cruelty to a child; causing or allowing a child to die or suffer serious...
by Levy Solicitors | Sep 3, 2018 | Laws
What power do the police have to test my eyesight? There has been much ado in the press about police forces undertaking random checks on motorists and revoking licences at the roadside. So, what are their powers? Can the police stop me? Under section 163 of the Road...
by Levy Solicitors | Aug 30, 2018 | Drugs
Supplying drugs or possessing with intent to supply Supplying drugs or possessing with intent to supply These are the more serious offences relating to drugs that can lead to lengthy custodial sentences. What drugs are illegal to supply? It is an offence to...
by Levy Solicitors | Aug 28, 2018 | Violent Crime
Why was Ben Stokes found not guilty? Who is Ben Stokes? He is the England cricketer who was charged with affray and acquitted by a jury. But the video showed him hitting someone? It did, his defence was that he was acting in self-defence, you can hit someone and still...
by Levy Solicitors | Aug 21, 2018 | Violent Crime
Racially aggravated offences Racially aggravated offences In recent years legislation has been enacted to ensure that crimes demonstrating a hostility towards certain groups of people are treated more seriously than before. If an offence is said to be racially...
by Levy Solicitors | Aug 20, 2018 | Law
Acquittals and enhanced record checks If I’m acquitted will the alleged offence show on a DBS check? An ordinary DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check reveals convictions and cautions. An enhanced check, required for many jobs, may reveal information held by the...
by Levy Solicitors | Aug 13, 2018 | Court
Will I be granted bail? This article refers to adults, the law for youths is different Do I have a right to bail? The starting point is that you have a “right” to be granted bail. This right can only be taken away in certain circumstances. These circumstances being...
by Levy Solicitors | Aug 8, 2018 | Alcohol
Failure to provide a breath specimen If you are suspected of driving with excess alcohol in your body, you may be asked to provide a breath sample at the roadside. If that sample is positive, you are likely to be arrested and take to the police station. Why do I have...
by Levy Solicitors | Aug 6, 2018 | Crime
Criminal Damage Essentially, the crime is made out if you intentionally or recklessly damage property. Most commonly it is damage to cars and windows, very often as an act of revenge. The damage does not need to be permanent. There have been cases where graffiti,...
by Levy Solicitors | Jul 23, 2018 | Data Protection
Cliff Richard, Privacy and the Data Protection Act In July 2014 the BBC filmed a search of Sir Cliff Richard’s property by the South Yorkshire Police. He was not arrested for any offence. South Yorkshire Police provided the BBC with information that enabled them to be...
by Levy Solicitors | Jul 18, 2018 | Crime
Consent It should be easy enough, shouldn’t it? Yes or no? As always, life and the law are more complicated than that, and the issue of consent is not so simple. What is consent? A person consents if she or he agrees by choice and has the freedom and capacity to make...
by Levy Solicitors | Jul 18, 2018 | Laws
It’s health and safety gone mad! Or is it? The Health and Safety Executive is the national regulator for workplace health and safety. Interestingly, on its website, there is a page for debunking health and safety myths, such as the one where flags were banned from...
by Levy Solicitors | Jul 14, 2018 | Crime
Explosives Rather than Guy Fawkes or his modern-day counterparts many of the recent cases involving explosives have been in relation to thefts from cash machines. The law is old but still very relevant today; it may not be appreciated that a separate, more serious...
by Levy Solicitors | Jul 5, 2018 | Crime
New Sentencing Guideline Issued The Sentencing Council has published new definitive guidelines for intimidatory offences, it will take effect in respect to all cases sentenced on or after 1 October 2018, so may well affect your current case. Sentencing Council member...
by Levy Solicitors | Jun 27, 2018 | Laws
Criminal Behaviour Orders Is it an ASBO? The criminal behaviour order (CBO) replaced the Anti-social behaviour order (ASBO) and can be made if convicted of a criminal offence. There are some key differences between the two orders, but the overall impact is very...
by Levy Solicitors | Jun 25, 2018 | Violent Crime
The government has released the Offensive Weapons Bill, which is intended to signify a stricter approach to the possession of weapons and liquids that can be used to hurt others, such as caustic compounds. The bill is part of the government’s response to the...
by Levy Solicitors | Jun 21, 2018 | Laws
“I’m Going to Kill You!” How many times have you said something similar? Is it an offence? You commit the crime of making threats to kill – if you make such a threat with the intent that it will be carried out. Section 16 of the Offences Against the Person Act...
by Levy Solicitors | Jun 18, 2018 | Law
What are TICs? TICs are offences that are to be taken into consideration when sentencing takes place. When would I be asked about them? If you’ve pleaded guilty to an offence or are about to or have been sentenced, you can admit to further offences and request...
by Levy Solicitors | Jun 11, 2018 | Alcohol, Driving
The government has declared its intention to utilise new roadside breathalysers, which might result in an additional 6,000 drink-driving convictions every year. The breath test technique is currently in two stages; anyone who tests positive on the roadside will be...
by Levy Solicitors | Jun 7, 2018 | Crime
With the rise in popularity of social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, it’s necessary to take a step back and think about how you use them. You and your children must ensure that not just personal information is posted on social media, but also...
by Levy Solicitors | May 31, 2018 | Laws
‘Rogue landlords,’ as they are known, are frequently in the news for allegedly overcharging tenants, refusing to return a deposit, or evicting tenants illegally. What is meant by ‘unlawful eviction’? To find out more, we must observe what is set forth in...
by Levy Solicitors | May 30, 2018 | Law
Although some violations of environmental legislation are criminal in nature, not all of them are. There are a variety of potential consequences that are not typically associated with regular criminal offences. Even if a criminal offence has occurred, judicial...
by Levy Solicitors | May 23, 2018 | Crime
Courts face a difficult evidentiary dilemma in determining how much weight to give to identification evidence that is weak or based on a brief contact. You’d expect that when it comes to the jury’s decision, the standard principles apply: if the jury...
by Levy Solicitors | May 22, 2018 | Crime
In 2012, new stalking offences were added to the list of existing harassment offences. Harassment is a crime that entails a pattern of behaviour that resembles stalking. There are two types of stalking offences: stalking with a fear of violence and stalking with...
by Levy Solicitors | May 14, 2018 | Drugs
On behalf of providers in other jurisdictions, officials at airports and other ports of entry frequently intercept people carrying controlled substances in their luggage, clothing, or inside their bodies. Mule is a phrase used to describe such persons. They could have...
by Levy Solicitors | Apr 30, 2018 | Cases
If you’re over the age of 17, the most straightforward response is that it might. Press reporting via social media may happen extremely quickly these days, and it is typically one of the last things on the minds of individuals facing criminal charges. Youth...
by Levy Solicitors | Apr 25, 2018 | Law
While fines are not the most prevalent punishment in the crown court, when they are, they are usually very significant. Do I have to pay the fine all at once? In some situations, a court will compel full payment (and may give you a deadline), but in most cases, the...
by Levy Solicitors | Apr 23, 2018 | Court
When clients consider the possible consequences of pleading guilty to or being convicted of a criminal offence, they usually consider whether they will face a prison sentence, a community penalty, or a heavy fine. While the substantive penalty is significant, there...
by Levy Solicitors | Apr 18, 2018 | Driving
A lot has been written in recent days about the sentence passed following Ant McPartlin’s (of ‘And and Dec’ fame) conviction for drink driving, in the following article, we are going to examine the case in a little more detail. What offence was he charged with?...
by Levy Solicitors | Apr 16, 2018 | Laws
The first of the so-called “right to be forgotten” cases has been decided by the High Court. Two of the applicants, referred to as NT1 and NT2, had previously been convicted of a criminal offence. Although the convictions were rehabilitated under the...
by Levy Solicitors | Apr 9, 2018 | Violent Crime
Following the case of 78-year-old Richard Osborn-Brooks, who was briefly probed after the fatal stabbing of a burglar who invaded his house, the law of self-defense is once again in the spotlight. Mr. Osborn-Brooks awoke in the early hours of the morning to find two...
by Levy Solicitors | Apr 4, 2018 | Law
We are frequently asked questions about QCs, most likely because leading barristers have been portrayed in popular television dramas such as Silk and Kavanagh QC over the years. It is therefore understandable that you would want to learn more and consider whether you...
by Levy Solicitors | Mar 28, 2018 | Crime
The Sentencing Council released recommended revised guidelines for arson and criminal damage charges today (March 27, 2017). The rules, which apply to courts in England and Wales, will help to ensure that these offences are punished consistently and proportionately....
by Levy Solicitors | Mar 28, 2018 | Law
The Sentencing Council has recently published new guidelines that courts must take into regard when they go through the procedure of sentencing for a range of terrorism offences. Who will be affected by the new guidelines? The new guidelines shall apply to all...
by Levy Solicitors | Mar 22, 2018 | Law
The DBS is a government organisation responsible for reporting convictions and additional information to employers and other relevant organisations. The information that they report to employers and other organisations can vary depending on which sector they are in...
by Levy Solicitors | Mar 19, 2018 | Law
Family members, as well as anyone seeking financial advantage, may be tempted to try to get articles into jails. Because the risk of being identified is considerable, many people who might otherwise be motivated to do so resist. Throwing things into prisons is illegal...
by Levy Solicitors | Mar 15, 2018 | Cases
In Entick v Carrington (1765), a case which concerned entry to and searching of premises, the court ruled: “…if this is law it would be found in our books, but no such law ever existed in this country; our law holds the property of every man so sacred, that no man can...
by Levy Solicitors | Mar 14, 2018 | Violent Crime
The government has announced more adjustments in response to its recent declaration regarding the sentencing of domestic violence offences. There will be a new definition of domestic abuse that clarifies that it covers economic abuse and controlling behaviour and...
by Levy Solicitors | Mar 12, 2018 | Violent Crime
The unjustified death of a child is usually a tragic event that shocks a society to its core. For other parents, it is the start of a nightmare as well as a highly personal and painful loss. The reality is that in the vast majority of murder and manslaughter cases,...
by Levy Solicitors | Mar 11, 2018 | Violent Crime
Knife crime has risen to the top of the political agenda in recent weeks, with a series of stabbings resulting in deaths and injuries, as well as, no doubt, the eventual loss of liberty for those guilty. The use of deterrent penalties to discourage knife ownership is...
by Levy Solicitors | Mar 10, 2018 | Law
For many people, the thought of a criminal investigation or prosecutions is a terrifying one, one that can have devastating consequences not only for themselves but also for their loved ones. As a result, it’s critical to put in place suitable professional...
by Levy Solicitors | Mar 4, 2018 | Driving
Dangerous driving is a specified offence that carries a maximum prison sentence of two years. If the driving results in a fatality, the maximum punishment is increased to 14 years. Minimum disqualification durations, very long real disqualifications, and insurance...
by Levy Solicitors | Feb 26, 2018 | Cases
David Duckenfield, a former senior police officer who was in command on the day of the Hillsborough disaster, will learn this week if the trial against him may proceed. Prosecutions against those accused of involvement in the Hillsborough disaster resumed in July...
by Levy Solicitors | Feb 19, 2018 | Laws
Most people are aware that if you commit a crime in the United Kingdom, the police will keep track of the crime and any subsequent sentencing so that it can be exposed during a future PNC (Police National Computer) check. But what about offending abroad, can that be...
by Levy Solicitors | Feb 17, 2018 | Animals
It is commonly remarked that a dangerous dog does not exist; only a harmful owner does. In criminal law, we often refer to ‘dangerous dogs,’ although the actual offences are related to dogs that are ‘dangerously out of control.’ The Dangerous...
by Levy Solicitors | Feb 14, 2018 | Laws
West Yorkshire Police has signed up for a new identity verification service, according to the government. The new service, which is currently being utilised in a few force locations and will be rolled out to another 20 by the end of the year, will eliminate the...
by Levy Solicitors | Feb 8, 2018 | Laws
The High Court has found that a significant component of the government’s surveillance programme is unlawful, following a court challenge initiated by MP Tom Watson and supported by campaign organisation Liberty (Secretary of State for the Home Department v...
by Levy Solicitors | Feb 7, 2018 | Court
Following a recent High Court case involving Dr. Bawa-Garba (General Medical Council v Bawa-Garba [2018] EWHC 76), many in the medical profession are outraged (Admin). The case stemmed from procedures before the Medical Practitioners Tribunal, which determined that...
by Levy Solicitors | Jan 31, 2018 | Law
The unlawful act of putting online personal sexual pictures/video of a person without their consent, known as “revenge porn,” carries a potential prison penalty of up to two years, so there’s already a good reason to think carefully about exacting...
by Levy Solicitors | Jan 30, 2018 | Financial
On January 31, 2018, rules implementing portions of the Criminal Finances Act 2017 dealing with unexplained wealth orders (UWOs) and other related measures went into effect. The goal of this new order is to make it possible for those who get property that is above...
by Levy Solicitors | Jan 24, 2018 | Laws
Redemption has always been an important aspect of our legal system; if you commit a crime, you must serve your sentence. Once your debt is paid off, you should be able to start again without being tormented by memories from the past. We all understand that there are...
by Levy Solicitors | Jan 23, 2018 | Cases
We talk about character a lot in criminal law, but mostly in the context of ‘bad character,’ or prior convictions that the prosecution will try to use to persuade a jury of the defendant’s guilt. After all, if he’s done it before, he’s...
by Levy Solicitors | Jan 17, 2018 | Phones
We are all aware that we live in a society that is constantly monitored. CCTV cameras in large cities can record our movements, and many residences now have them installed for security. Finally, most people are aware that the location where a mobile telephone call was...
by Levy Solicitors | Jan 15, 2018 | Financial
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are often in the headlines, especially when their value is rapidly increasing. The price of a single bitcoin has risen to little over £10,000. It’s a strange ‘currency,’ because it’s not supported by any...
by Levy Solicitors | Jan 11, 2018 | Law, Laws, Violent Crime
Laws criminalising unlawful violence have been in place since 1861 and are utilised in criminal courts every day to support prosecutions. Despite what may appear to be a simple legal position, the question of whether it is permitted to’smack’ a youngster...
by Levy Solicitors | Jan 10, 2018 | Laws
The administration has stated that it aims to implement a number of sections of the Housing and Planning Act of 2016. Local authorities will be able to file for a banning order if a landlord has been convicted of a ‘banning order offence’ as of April 6,...
by Levy Solicitors | Dec 28, 2017 | Cases
We’ll look at how to appeal a sentence from the Crown Court to the Court of Appeal in this post. The appeals process can be complicated depending on the circumstances, but we’ll cover the fundamentals here. Early Indications Regardless of whether there is...
by Levy Solicitors | Dec 27, 2017 | Laws
Restraining orders issued under the Protection From Harassment Act 1997 affect a large number of persons. The orders are regularly issued in cases of ‘domestic violence,’ and are intended to protect persons from harassment. However, life goes on, and...
by Levy Solicitors | Dec 26, 2017 | Law
If you were able to listen in on a meeting between a client and a lawyer, you would hear something like this: ‘Can you tell me what I’m looking at?’ ‘Around 12-15 months, with the possibility of a suspension if you’re lucky.’...
by Levy Solicitors | Dec 23, 2017 | Driving
Because it strikes at the very heart of the judicial system, ‘perverting the course of justice’ is one of the most serious offences that may be brought before a court. Despite the fact that immediate custody is almost always the result of this terrible...
by Levy Solicitors | Dec 18, 2017 | Law
You know something major went wrong when the Director of Public Prosecutions writes to a national newspaper apologising for a prosecution failure in a specific case. However, it may be considered a huge pity that she opted to write to a newspaper rather than the...
by Levy Solicitors | Dec 11, 2017 | Drugs
As Christmas approaches and we begin to let our hair down a little and enjoy the festivities, some people are enticed into the world of so-called ‘recreational drugs’. There are a great many substances that might properly be categorised as ‘recreational’, popular ones...
by Levy Solicitors | Dec 7, 2017 | Law
Extradition is the formal process through which one country requests the repatriation of a person to stand trial or serve a sentence in another country. The UK has extradition relationships with over 100 countries across the world under multilateral agreements and...
by Levy Solicitors | Dec 4, 2017 | Court
Jury Trial – How Your Fate is Decided We talk a lot about the advantages of a jury trial in this country, about how putting the decision in the hands of 12 individuals chosen at random is the most fair approach to ensure justice, but how does a jury make their...
by Levy Solicitors | Nov 29, 2017 | Financial
‘Follow the money,’ as the line goes from the film ‘All The President’s Men,’ which chronicled President Richard Nixon’s involvement in the Watergate scandal in the 1970s. However, in significant fraud cases, the money trail is...
by Levy Solicitors | Nov 27, 2017 | Violent Crime
When responding to situations of alleged domestic abuse, police frequently issue Domestic Violence Protection Notices (DVPNs). Regardless of the rights and wrongs of a circumstance, which is usually impossible to accurately determine, the man is invariably the...
by Levy Solicitors | Nov 22, 2017 | Forensics
New information about forensic testing flaws at two of the country’s most prestigious institutions has surfaced. The circumstances are being investigated by police, and several persons have been arrested. Samples are handled by Randox Testing Services (RTS) and...
by Levy Solicitors | Nov 20, 2017 | Alcohol
It won’t be long before Christmas is in our sights and party season begins as we put Halloween and Bonfire Night behind us and ease into those dark cold hours. This time also coincides with a nationwide police initiative addressing drink driving, as police...
by Levy Solicitors | Nov 19, 2017 | Substance Abuse
Following a Court of Appeal judgement that the chemical is controlled under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016, ‘laughing gas,’ also known as Nitrous Oxide, has resurfaced in the news. Possession of psychoactive substances with the intent to supply is...
by Levy Solicitors | Nov 11, 2017 | Illegal Weapons
Gun Amnesty A two-week gun amnesty begins today in the United Kingdom. During this time, folks will be able to safely dispose of firearms and ammo with “no questions asked.” Who are the police reaching out to? The amnesty is aimed at two types of people:...
by Levy Solicitors | Nov 11, 2017 | Driving
It is possible to petition a court to have a driving ban lifted early in specific cases. If your circumstances have changed since you were disqualified, it is worth speaking with one of our criminal law experts to see if you qualify for this legal option. Is legal aid...
by Levy Solicitors | Oct 1, 2017 | Driving, International
The UK is unquestionably a lovely place to live. However, some significant driving offences can turn it into a nightmare, resulting in your licence being revoked, a large fine, and in some cases, even incarceration, depending on the severity of your offence. Some of...
by Levy Solicitors | Sep 28, 2017 | Driving
It is nothing new for British drivers to break foreign regulations because they are perplexed by foreign sign boards. Many people do not care to learn the norms of the country they are visiting before getting on the roads, which creates a problem and a risk for...
by Levy Solicitors | Sep 19, 2017 | Acquisitions, Financial, Taxes
Liar, ITV’s new six-part thriller, has the nation enthralled, with viewers already debating whether Laura, played by Joanne Froggatt (well known for her role as Anna Bates in Downton Abbey), is speaking the truth when she accuses surgeon Andrew of rapping her....
