The Home Office published its autumn 2009 performance report, showing progress in achieving its public service agreement targets.
Source: Autumn Performance Report 2009, Cm 7754, Home Office/TSO
Links: Report
Date: 2009-Dec
The Ministry of Justice published its autumn 2009 performance report, showing progress in achieving its public service agreement targets.
Source: Autumn Performance Report 2009, Cm 7732, Home Office/TSO
Links: Report
Date: 2009-Dec
The Policing and Crime Act 2009 was given Royal assent. The Act included measures on police accountability and effectiveness, such as a new duty for police authorities to have regard to the public's views on policing in their area. The Act also covered aspects of prostitution and sex offences; the regulation of lapdancing clubs; licensing conditions and police powers relating to alcohol; proceeds of crime; extradition; airport security; criminal records; restrictions on offensive weapons; and football banning orders.
Source: Policing and Crime Act 2009, Home Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Text of Act | Home Office press release
Date: 2009-Nov
The Crime and Security Bill was published. The Bill included a wide range of measures including: new rules on the retention of the DNA profiles of innocent people; stronger powers to tackle anti-social behaviour; the scrapping of stop-and-search forms; and greater protection against crime for children and victims of domestic violence.
Source: Crime and Security Bill, Home Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Impact assessment | Home Office press release | Howard League press release | Telegraph report | BBC report | New Start report | Guardian report
Date: 2009-Nov
An article examined growing concern about the lack of policy relevance of criminology, and called for an approach that linked theory, method, and intervention with the aim of developing a coherent 'critical realist' approach.
Source: Roger Matthews, 'Beyond "so what?" criminology: rediscovering realism', Theoretical Criminology, Volume 13 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2009-Aug
A new textbook examined the relationship between political theory and criminology, dealing with issues including: power and ideology, the nature of the state, social control and policing, punishment, economics and criminal activity, and morality.
Source: Anthony Amatrudo, Criminology and Political Theory, SAGE Publications Ltd (020 7324 8500)
Links: Summary
Date: 2009-Jul
The Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill was published. The Bill was designed to place the Civil Service Code of impartiality and professionalism on a statutory footing, and make any change to the Code subject to Parliamentary approval; remove the hereditary principle from the House of Lords, and allow for the disqualification of peers found guilty of serious criminal offences; repeal the legislation that limited protests around Parliament; and remove the Prime Minister from involvement in all judicial appointments in England and Wales. Plans to reform the role of Attorney General (contained in the draft Bill) were dropped.
Source: Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill, Ministry of Justice, TSO (0870 600 5522) | House of Commons Hansard, Written Ministerial Statement 21 July 2009, columns 131-132WS, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Hansard (1) | Hansard (2) | MOJ press release | Guardian report | BBC report
Date: 2009-Jul
An article said that the obsession with crime, anti-social behaviour, and the regulation of everyday life had arisen as a result of the political elite's sense of diminished capacity and control over society, and with the construction of a more 'fragile subject' that needed ever greater protection.
Source: Stuart Waiton, 'Policing after the crisis: crime, safety and the vulnerable public', Punishment and Society, Volume 11 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2009-Jun
The Ministry of Justice published its departmental report for 2008-09, showing progress against its public service agreement targets.
Source: The Ministry of Justice Departmental Report 2008/09, Cm 7600, Ministry of Justice, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-Jun
The Home Office published its departmental report for 2008-09, showing progress against its public service agreement targets.
Source: The Home Office Departmental Report 2009, Cm 7592, Home Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-Jun
The Policing and Crime Bill was given a third reading. The Bill included measures on police accountability and effectiveness, such as a new duty for police authorities to have regard to the public's views on policing in their area. The Bill also covered aspects of prostitution and sex offences; the regulation of lapdancing clubs; licensing conditions and police powers relating to alcohol; proceeds of crime; extradition; airport security; criminal records; restrictions on offensive weapons; and football banning orders.
Source: Policing and Crime Bill, Home Office, TSO (0870 600 5522) | House of Commons Hansard, Debate 19 May 2009, columns 1362-1472, TSO
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Hansard
Date: 2009-May
The government published an updated crime strategy. There would be a new programme to tackle serious property-related crimes. There would also be stronger powers to seize criminal assets, and a greater public say in how these were spent.
Source: Cutting Crime: Two Years On – An update to the 2008-11 crime strategy, Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links: Report | Home Office press release | Speech | BBC report
Date: 2009-May
A committee of MSPs said that it supported proposals for strengthened legislation to protect victims of hate crime. The Bill concerned was subsequently approved in principle by the Scottish Parliament.
Source: Stage 1 Report on the Offences (Aggravation by Prejudice) (Scotland) Bill, 6th Report 2009, SP Paper 225, Scottish Parliament Justice Committee, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283) | Scottish Parliament Official Report March 2009, columns 15871-15908, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | Official Report | BBC report
Date: 2009-Mar
A new book examined the contemporary politics of crime and its control, grouped around three major themes – the politics of crime; sociological theory, crime, and deviance; and comparative penal policy.
Source: Tim Newburn and Paul Rock (eds.), The Politics of Crime Control: Essays in honour of David Downes, Oxford University Press (01536 741727)
Links: Summary
Date: 2009-Mar
The government published a Green Paper outlining proposals for a Bill of Rights. It said that there was a need for citizens' existing rights to be collected in one place, along with the social responsibilities expected of them in return. 'Key responsibilities' might include: not claiming benefits when able to work, obeying the law, reporting crimes, co-operating with the police, paying taxes, voting, and doing jury service. They could also include parents' duty to look after children, treating public sector workers with respect, and living within 'environmental limits'. The government said that a written statement of 'common values' would boost social cohesion.
Source: Rights and Responsibilities: Developing our constitutional framework, Cm 7577, Ministry of Justice, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Green Paper | Hansard | MOJ press release | JUSTICE press release | Liberal Democrats press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2009-Mar
A report by a committee of MPs examined proposals in the Coroners and Justice Bill. It said that 'close and careful scrutiny' should be given to clauses providing for inquests without juries, and to the scope of powers granted to government to make orders in respect of data-sharing between departments.
Source: Coroners and Justice Bill, Second Report (Session 2008-09), HC 185, House of Commons Justice Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-Jan
The Coroners and Justice Bill was published, and given a second reading. The Bill was designed to modernize the coroners system (including a 'charter for the bereaved' to ensure that minimum standards of care were given at every stage of the inquest process; provide better protection for witnesses during criminal investigations; create a new Sentencing Council (to supersede the existing Sentencing Guidelines Council) to improve consistency and transparency in sentencing; remove barriers, and strengthen safeguards, to effective data-sharing in support of improved public services and the fight against crime and terrorism; and give statutory authority to the principle that United Kingdom courts should be able to take account of a defendant's previous convictions.
Source: Coroners and Justice Bill, Ministry of Justice, TSO (0870 600 5522) | House of Commons Hansard, Debate 26 January 2009, columns 26-125, TSO
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Charter for bereaved | Hansard | Hansard (second reading) | MOJ press release (1) | MOJ press release (2) | HOC research brief (1) | HOC research brief (2) | Amnesty press release | NO2ID press release | INQUEST press release | NIHRC press release | Christian Institute press release | Bar Council press release | JUSTICE briefing | Telegraph report | Guardian report | BBC report
Date: 2009-Jan
A new book examined the problems that had led to the penal 'crisis'. It said that informed media and public opinion had finally 'turned the corner' and that the time was ripe for a concerted pragmatic U-turn in criminal justice policy-making based increasingly on well-understood restorative justice principles.
Source: David Cornwell, The Penal Crisis and the Clapham Omnibus: Questions and answers in restorative justice, Waterside Press (01962 855567)
Links: Summary
Date: 2009-Jan
The Policing and Crime Bill was given a second reading. The Bill included measures on police accountability and effectiveness, such as a new duty for police authorities to have regard to the public's views on policing in their area. The Bill also covered aspects of prostitution and sex offences; the regulation of lapdancing clubs; licensing conditions and police powers relating to alcohol; proceeds of crime; extradition; airport security; criminal records; restrictions on offensive weapons; and football banning orders.
Source: Policing and Crime Bill, Home Office, TSO (0870 600 5522) | House of Commons Hansard, Debate 19 January 2009, columns 517-590, TSO
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Hansard | JUSTICE briefing | HOC research brief | Liberal Democrats press release
Date: 2009-Jan