Criminal

One in three criminal barristers are actively seeking to leave the Bar, according to Criminal Bar Association (CBA) research

Lawyers have been instructed to pursue legal action to secure a pardon for Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be hanged in the UK

The rise of deepfake videos, deepfake porn and unsolicited sexual images (cyberflashing) is an alarming and increasingly prevalent problem. In this week’s NLJ, Jenni Dempster KC and Maleeka Bokhari, Red Lion Chambers, look into this abuse, the harm it causes and the legal protections that exist, notably the Online Safety Act 2023.

From deepfakes to cyberflashing, 2025 must be the year to eliminate the technology-facilitated abuse of women, write Jenni Dempster KC & Maleeka Bokhari

Private prosecutors would be accredited, inspected and subject to sanctions if they failed to comply with a compulsory code of conduct, under plans for a radical shake-up.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) appears to have ‘simply accepted’ Crown Court backlogs will continue to grow rather than taking the urgent action required, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has warned.

Possession of non-consensual intimate images (NCII) would become a criminal offence similar to that for child sexual abuse material, under proposals launched by a parliamentary committee.

The Lord Chancellor has announced an increase in judicial sitting days and a £28.5m budget boost for repairs to the court buildings.

The Sentencing Council has revised its guidance for magistrates and judges on the principles to follow when imposing community orders and custodial sentences.

It’s often a case of double trouble where regulated professionals face criminal charges because they also face professional disciplinary proceedings. In this week’s NLJ, Vanessa Reid, senior associate at Corker Binning, looks at a recent High Court decision, Patel, in which a dentist who caused death by careless driving received criminal sanctions and was also brought before the General Dental Council’s disciplinary committee.