Criminal

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.

Ever met a psychopath? Do you really know what a psychopath is? In this week’s NLJ, Dr Tanya Garrett, clinical and forensic psychologist, sets out how to recognise the personality disorder known as psychopathy and explains why ‘understanding whether someone has psychopathic traits is important for considering parenting capacity, risk and identifying what interventions are needed’.

Two sets of consequences for the same actions? Vanessa Reid examines guidance from the courts on criminal convictions & professional disciplinary cases

What is psychopathy & why does it matter? Dr Tanya Garrett explains the diagnosis & its implications for criminal & family proceedings

The Law Commission has proposed sweeping reforms to the criminal appeals process, including changing the ‘real possibility’ test used by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC).