Debate Pack
Personal Injury Fraud
A Westminster Hall debate on personal injury fraud has been scheduled for Wednesday 18 November 2015 at 1430hrs. The member in charge of the debate is Karl McCartney.
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Research Briefing
Mandatory life sentences for murder
Murder carries a mandatory life sentence. This can mean that the offender will spend the rest of his natural life in prison, although more commonly the offender will spend a "minimum term" in custody before being released on licence. This briefing from the Commons Library describes the legal framework within which minimum terms are set and the circumstances in which a "whole life" minimum term may be imposed.
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Debate Pack
Debate pack: E-petition relating to making the production, sale and use of cannabis legal
This debate pack is prepared for the Westminster Hall debate on the e-petition relating to making the production, sale and use of cannabis legal on 12 October at 4.30pm. Debate packs are produced quickly after the announcement of parliamentary business. They are intended to provide a summary or overview of the issue being debated and identify relevant briefings and useful documents, including press and parliamentary material. More detailed briefing can be prepared for MPs on request.
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Research Briefing
The Assisted Dying (No 2) Bill 2015
This Briefing Paper is prepared for the Second Reading of the Assisted Dying (No 2) Bill 2015 on 11 September 2015.
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Research Briefing
Comparative Prison Sentences in the EU
This briefing provides a downloadable tool which allows the user to make a graphical comparison of unsuspended custodial sentences for like crimes across the EU. Two countries may be selected for comparison of nine different offence types, with graphs showing the percentage of custodial sanctions awarded by sentence length.
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Research Briefing
New Psychoactive Substances
This briefing paper has been withdrawn. It has been replaced by the Library briefing on the Psychoactive Substance Bill 2015.
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Research Briefing
Modern Slavery Bill: Progress of the Bill
This is a note on the House of Commons Committee Stage of the Modern Slavery Bill. It complements Library Research Paper 14/37 prepared for the Commons Second Reading.
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Research Briefing
Miscarriages of justice: compensation schemes
This note describes the statutory scheme under which victims of miscarriages of justice can apply to the Government for compensation.
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Research Briefing
Serious Crime Bill
This Bill would make changes aimed to strengthen the law on the recovery of the proceeds of crime. It would make amendments to the Computer Misuse Act 1990 to update existing offences. It would also provide for a new offence of participating in the activities of an organised crime group and make changes to Serious Crime Prevention Orders and gang injunctions. The Bill would provide for the seizure and forfeiture of substances used as drug-cutting agents. It would also amend the offence of child cruelty, create a new offence relating to the possession of ‘paedophile manuals’ and amend the law on Female Genital Mutilation. The Bill would create a new offence of unauthorised possession of a knife or other offensive weapon in prison and confer extra-territorial jurisdiction on the courts in respect of certain terrorism offences.
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Research Briefing
Criminal Justice and Courts Bill – Lords Amendments
This paper is designed to provide background information for Consideration of Lords Amendments of the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill, which is due to take place on 1 December 2014
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Research Briefing
The UK block opt-out in police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters: recent developments
The UK Government would like to opt back into 35 measures in the area of police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters adopted before the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, but will the other EU Member States agree unanimously on this? Will the Government manage to get approval for the draft regulations published on 6 November which complete the transposition of 11 of the 35 opt-back-ins?
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Research Briefing
The Law Officers
Information about the role of the Law Officers in England and Wales (the Attorney General and Solicitor General).
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Research Briefing
Criminal Justice and Courts Bill: Commons stages
The Criminal Justice and Courts Bill 2013-14 had its second reading on 24 February 2014 and was carried over to 2014-15 session. Library Research Paper 14/8 The Criminal Justice and Courts Bill provides background on the proposals in the Bill. There are four parts covering criminal justice, including offences relating to extreme pornographic images and release and recall of prisoners, young offenders, secure colleges and youth cautions, changes to courts and tribunals, including strict liability and jury misconduct, and judicial review changes, which attracted much written and oral evidence.
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Research Briefing
Calls for reform of the criminal law on child neglect
The current criminal offence of child neglect is set out in section 1 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933. The charity Action for Children has launched a campaign calling for reform of the law, arguing that the legislation needs to "catch up" with modern society's understanding of neglect. Initially the Government said it had no plans to change the law in this area as the courts and children's services already interpret the 1933 Act "in a contemporary way". However, it now plans to legislate (via the Serious Crime Bill announced in the 2014 Queen's Speech) to make clear that the offence covers serious emotional neglect and psychological harm.
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Research Briefing
Crimes and misdemeanours: penalties and punishment in the UK financial services sector.
This note gives a broad outline of how financial crimes are defined and who is responsible for their policing.
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