A new book examined the concept of a 'signal crime' – an incident that changed how people thought, felt, and behaved about their safety due to them becoming more aware of wider risks and threats.
Source: Martin Innes, Signal Crimes: Reactions to crime and social control, Oxford University Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2014-Sep
A new book examined street gangs, drawing on the findings from an ethnographic study of local residents, professionals, and gang members in south London, and on Bourdieu's principles of social field analysis and habitus. The book theorized gangs using a gambling analogy whereby gangs were a social arena of competition within which actors strived to become 'players in the game' in the 'casino of life', with 'playing chips' equating to street capital.
Source: Simon Harding, The Street Casino: Survival in violent street gangs, Policy Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2014-Sep
The government responded to a report by a joint committee of MPs and peers on the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill, in particular on the aspects of the Bill that related to increased sentences for terrorism offences, electronic monitoring following release on licence, extreme pornography, young offenders, a criminal courts charge, and contempt of court.
Source: Government Response to the Fourteenth Report of the Joint Committee on Human Rights, Session 2013/14: Criminal Justice and Courts Bill, Cm 8928, Ministry of Justice, TSO
Date: 2014-Sep
The government responded to a report by a committee of peers on the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill, in particular on the aspects of the Bill that related to 'leapfrog appeals' to the Supreme Court, and to judicial review.
Source: Government Response to the Second Report of the House of Lords Select Committee on the Constitution Session 2014/15: Criminal Justice and Courts Bill, Cm 8927, Ministry of Justice, TSO
Links: Response | Peers report
Date: 2014-Sep
The Social Action, Responsibility and Heroism Bill was given a second reading. The Bill was designed to establish new provisions regarding civil liability for negligence and for certain breaches of a statutory duty, requiring a court to have regard to certain factors such as whether the person was acting for the benefit of society, whether they demonstrated a generally responsible approach towards protecting the safety or other interests of others, or whether event happened as a result of someone 'acting heroically'. The provisions would apply to claims against individuals or organizations (including employers) in England and Wales.
Source: Social Action, Responsibility and Heroism Bill, Ministry of Justice, TSO | Debate 21 July 2014, columns 1187-1214, House of Commons Hansard, TSO
Links: Bill | Explanatory notes | Hansard
Date: 2014-Jul
The Modern Slavery Bill was given a second reading. The Bill was designed to consolidate and simplify existing slavery and trafficking offences; increase the maximum sentence available; introduce Slavery and Trafficking Prevention Orders and Slavery and Trafficking Risk Orders; create a new Anti-Slavery Commissioner role; and establish a legal duty to report potential victims of trafficking to the National Crime Agency.
Source: Modern Slavery Bill, Home Office, TSO | Debate 8 July 2014, columns 166-260, House of Commons Hansard, TSO
Links: Bill | Explanatory notes | Hansard
Date: 2014-Jul
A report examined policy on crime and punishment in the United Kingdom and, in particular, the reliance on imprisonment, reasons behind the high prison population, and the possibilities for both reducing the number of people imprisoned, and the length of sentences. The report looked at changes in the use and practice of imprisonment in the United Kingdom over the previous twenty years and argued in favour of the reduction of the prison population, as well as offering a range of strategies to reduce reliance on imprisonment, including: diversion from the courts; greater use of alternative forms of sentence; prohibition or restriction of the imposition of short custodial sentences; removal or restriction of imprisonment as a sentencing option for certain offences; the review of sentence lengths; and the removal of people with mental illness or addictions from prisons.
Source: Rob Allen, Andrew Ashworth, Roger Cotterrell, Andrew Coyle, Antony Duff, Nicola Lacey, Alison Liebling, and Rod Morgan, A Presumption Against Imprisonment: Social order and social values, British Academy
Links: Report | British Academy press release
Date: 2014-Jul
A report examined the concept and application of 'community justice' in England and Wales, drawing on findings from a policy review, a review of existing data on civic participation, and empirical research on community activism in four deprived neighbourhoods (in north-east London, Bristol, Nottingham, and south Wales). The report concluded that 'community justice' was a worthwhile policy aspiration (if conceived largely as a matter of nurturing community spirit and informal social control) but it was difficult to promote the active participation of communities in the design or delivery of criminal justice services.
Source: Jessica Jacobson, Oonagh Skrine, Amy Kirby, and Gillian Hunter, Crime and 'Community': Exploring the scope for community involvement in criminal justice, Institute for Criminal Policy Research (Birkbeck, University of London)
Links: Report | ICPR press release
Date: 2014-Jun
A new book examined theories of retributivism, bringing together articles that covered issues including its diversity, its relation with the notion of 'desert', the link between desert and proportionality, retributivist emotions, and the idea of mercy.
Source: Thom Brooks (ed.), Retribution, Ashgate Publications
Links: Summary
Date: 2014-Jun
The Criminal Justice and Courts Bill was given a third reading. The Bill was designed to make a range of provisions regarding sentencing, youth justice, and the courts, including: restriction of the frequency and circumstances of the use of adult cautions; provisions regarding early release; tracking offenders while on licence; recovery of costs in criminal cases; the creation of secure colleges for young offenders; requiring the presence of an appropriate adult when giving a caution or conditional caution to 17 year olds; continuation of a breached or superseded referral order to allow the restorative justice element to be completed; removal of the requirement for some offences to be heard by magistrates in open court; the extension of provisions for some cases to 'leapfrog' the Court of Appeal (directly to the Supreme Court); provisions to change the requirement for relief, and the provisions for costs and cost capping, in judicial review cases; drugs testing of prisoners; and offences of sending letters with intent to cause distress and anxiety.
Source: Criminal Justice and Courts Bill, Ministry of Justice, TSO | Debate 17 June 2014, columns 962-1083, House of Commons Hansard, TSO
Links: Bill | Explanatory notes | Hansard
Date: 2014-Jun
The Serious Crime Bill was published. The Bill was designed to: strengthen the powers of the police to prevent serious and organized crime, including the extension in scope of serious crime prevention orders and gang injunctions, and amendments to the Computer Misuse Act; improve the ability to recover criminal assets, and enable the seizure of drug-cutting agents; extend the extra-territorial reach of legislation relating to female genital mutilation; allow certain suspected terrorism preparation offences that were committed overseas to be prosecuted in the United Kingdom; make it an offence to possess an item that contained advice or guidance about committing sexual offences against children; and make explicit the offence of cruelty likely to cause psychological harm to a child.
Source: Serious Crime Bill, Home Office, TSO
Links: Bill | Explanatory notes | Links to supporting documents | Home Office press release | MOJ/HO press release | MOJ/HO press release
Date: 2014-Jun
The Queen's Speech set out the United Kingdom coalition government's legislative programme for 2014-15. It included plans for a Serious Crime Bill to: strengthen the powers of the police to prevent serious and organized crime, including the extension in scope of Serious Crime Prevention Orders and gang injunctions, and amendments to the Computer Misuse Act; improve the ability to recover criminal assets; extend the extra-territorial reach of legislation relating to female genital mutilation; allow certain suspected terrorism preparation offences that were committed overseas to be prosecuted in the United Kingdom; and make explicit the offence of cruelty likely to cause psychological harm to a child.
Source: Queen's Speech, 4 June 2014, columns 1-4, House of Commons Hansard, TSO
Links: Hansard | Prime Ministers Office briefing | Cabinet Office guidance | PMO/DPMO press release | Home Office press release | Northern Ireland Office press release | Scotland Office press release | Wales Office press release | Action for Children press release | Childrens Society press release | Scottish Government press release | BBC report | Guardian report | Telegraph report
Date: 2014-Jun
A new book critically considered the application of regulatory theory to criminal justice. Chapters examined the aims and values of criminal justice and other regulatory networks, the role of criminal justice as a regulatory force to control 'deviant' and anti-social behaviour, and the regulation and oversight of criminal justice through prison inspectorates.
Source: Hannah Quirk, Toby Seddon, and Graham Smith (eds), Regulation and Criminal Justice: Innovations in policy and research, Cambridge University Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2014-Jun
A new book examined theory relating to shame punishment, bringing together articles that discussed issues including the diversity of contemporary shame punishment, its link with restorative justice, the relationship between dignity and shame punishment, its use with sex offenders, and criticisms of shame punishment.
Source: Thom Brooks (ed.), Shame Punishment, Ashgate Publications
Links: Summary
Date: 2014-Jun
An article examined restorative justice research and practice within the context of race. It noted a lack of work in this area and suggested a conceptual model for further pilots and research.
Source: Theo Gavrielides, 'Bringing race relations into the restorative justice debate: an alternative and personalized vision of "the other"', Journal of Black Studies, Volume 45 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-May
The Scottish Government began consultation on proposals for the new model for community justice in Scotland. The consultation would close on 2 July 2014.
Source: Future Model for Community Justice in Scotland, Scottish Government
Links: Consultation document
Date: 2014-Apr
A report by a joint committee of MPs said that the committees had raised concerns with the Home and Justice Secretaries about two issues: parliamentary scrutiny of the decision as to whether European Union measures covered by the '2014 block opt-out decision' should apply to the United Kingdom; and the need for an early debate and vote on the measures the government proposed to rejoin. The report noted the committee's disappointment with the response (that a second vote would be held once 'in principle' agreement had been reached with the European Union institutions and other member states), and said that the committee would now seek a debate on this joint report.
Source: The Government's Response to the Committees' Reports on the 2014 Block Opt-Out Decision, First Joint Report (Session 2013–14), HC 1177, Joint Select Committee on European Scrutiny, Home Affairs, and Justice, TSO
Links: Report
Date: 2014-Mar
The government began consultation on proposals to make changes to PACE codes C and H, regarding the information given to suspects about their rights and about the accusations levied against them. PACE codes were established under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 to lay out the powers of police and make provisions to protect the rights of those suspected or accused of offences. The consultation would close on 22 April 2014.
Source: Home Office
Links: Documents
Date: 2014-Mar
The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 was given Royal assent. The Act provided for measures (mostly related to England and Wales) to tackle anti-social behaviour, forced marriage, dangerous dogs, and illegal firearms, as well as to make provisions regarding court and tribunal fees, and remove the defence of marital coercion.
Source: Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, Home Office, TSO
Links: Act | Explanatory notes
Date: 2014-Mar
The government began consultation on proposals to develop a new clear and specific criminal offence of ill-treatment or wilful neglect of patients and service users in England and Wales. The consultation would close on 31 March 2014.
Source: New Offence of Ill-Treatment or Wilful Neglect: Consultation document, Department of Health
Links: Consultation document | DH press release | Guardian report
Date: 2014-Feb
An article examined the implications of directly elected police and crime commissioners for the operational independence of the police in England and Wales. It said that the new 'quadripartite' governance framework for police institutional accountability might generate pressures on commissioners to interfere in what chief constables did. This raised questions about the appropriate scope of chief constables' operational discretion, and the extent to which politics could or should be kept out of policing.
Source: Stuart Lister, 'The new politics of the police: police and crime commissioners and the "operational independence" of the police', Policing, Volume 7 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Feb
The government published further reports from its ongoing review of the European Union's competences, and how they affected the United Kingdom, which the Foreign Secretary had launched in July 2012.
Source: Review of the Balance of Competences between the United Kingdom and the European Union: Single Market – Free movement of goods, HM Revenue & Customs
Links: Report | Supplementary papers | FCO press release
Source: Review of the Balance of Competences between the United Kingdom and the European Union: Asylum and non-EU migration, Home Office
Links: Report | Evidence | FCO press release
Source: Review of the Balance of Competences between the United Kingdom and the European Union: Trade and investment, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
Links: Report | Supplementary papers | FCO press release
Source: Review of the Balance of Competences between the United Kingdom and the European Union: Environment and climate change, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Links: Report | Supplementary papers | FCO press release
Source: Review of the Balance of Competences between the United Kingdom and the European Union: Transport, Department for Transport
Links: Report | Evidence | FCO press release
Source: Review of the Balance of Competences between the United Kingdom and the European Union: Research and development, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
Links: Report | Supplementary paper | FCO press release
Source: Review of the Balance of Competences between the United Kingdom and the European Union: Culture, tourism and sport, Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Links: Report | Supplementary paper | FCO press release
Source: Review of the Balance of Competences between the United Kingdom and the European Union: Civil judicial cooperation, Ministry of Justice
Links: Report | Supplementary papers | FCO press release
Date: 2014-Feb
The government responded to a report by a joint committee of MPs and peers on proposals for the reform of legal aid in England and Wales.
Source: Government Response to the Joint Committee on Human Rights: The implications for access to justice of the Government's proposals to reform legal aid., Cm 8821, Ministry of Justice, TSO
Links: Response | JC report | MOJ press release
Date: 2014-Feb
The Criminal Justice and Courts Bill was published. The Bill was designed to make a range of provisions regarding sentencing, youth justice, and the courts, including: restriction of the frequency and circumstances of the use of adult cautions; provisions regarding early release; tracking offenders while on licence; recovery of costs in criminal cases; the creation of secure colleges for young offenders; requiring the presence of an appropriate adult when giving a caution or conditional caution to 17 year olds; continuation of a breached or superseded referral order to allow the restorative justice element to be completed; removal of the requirement for some offences to be heard by magistrates in open court; the extension of provisions for some cases to 'leapfrog' the Court of Appeal (directly to the Supreme Court); and provisions to change the requirement for relief, and the provisions for costs and cost capping, in judicial review cases.
Source: Criminal Justice and Courts Bill, Ministry of Justice, TSO
Links: Bill | Explanatory notes | Fact sheets | Memoranda | MOJ press release
Date: 2014-Feb
A report by a joint committee of MPs and peers raised concerns about a number of provisions contained in the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill. The committee made recommendations on various clauses, including: the definition of anti-social behaviour, as it related to injunctions to prevent nuisance and annoyance; protections against conflict with religious beliefs; powers to evict tenants if convicted of riot-related offences; 'reasonable suspicion' for stop, question, search and detention at ports; and compensation for miscarriages of justice.
Source: Legislative Scrutiny: Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill (second report), Ninth Report (Session 2013–14), HC 951 and HL 108, Joint Select Committee on Human Rights, TSO
Links: Report | BBC report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2014-Jan