Research Briefing
Prosecution appeals against bail
This note considers proposals to introduce a new route for the prosecution to appeal against Crown Court decisions to grant bail to suspects in criminal cases.
Research Briefing
This note considers proposals to introduce a new route for the prosecution to appeal against Crown Court decisions to grant bail to suspects in criminal cases.
Research Briefing
The Commons is due to consider Lords Amendments to the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill on Tuesday 17 April 2012. This note draws attention to the principal changes, additions and deletions that were made in the Lords.
Research Briefing
In 2014 the UK Government must make a decision on whether to opt into the body of police and criminal justice measures in the former ‘third pillar’ of the EU Treaties that remain unamended since the Treaty of Lisbon came into force in December 2009.
Research Briefing
This note summarises the Lords amendments to the Protection of Freedoms Bill, which are due to be considered by the Commons on 19 March 2012.
Research Briefing
This is a report on the House of Commons committee stage of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill. It complements Research Paper 11/53. In the Bill’s remaining stages, it is likely that the areas that will prove most contentious will be the restrictions on legal aid, the introduction of new offences and possible Government amendments on squatting and self-defence and sentences of imprisonment for public protection.
Research Briefing
This Bill is a Private Members’ Bill introduced by Sir Paul Beresford. It has received Government support. This Bill was introduced into the Commons on 30 June 2010, and received its second reading without debate on 18 March 2011. The Government tabled a series of amendments for the Bill’s committee stage, which were welcomed by Sir Paul. These amendments were all added to the Bill without division. The Bill is due to have its report stage on Friday 21 October 2011.
Research Briefing
The creation of the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice is based on the Tampere (1999-04), Hague (2004-09) and Stockholm (2010-14) programmes. It derives from the pre-Lisbon Title IV TEC (Visas, asylum, immigration and other policies related to free movement of persons) and Title VI TEU (Provisions on police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters) and is now Title V of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, the “Area of freedom, security and justice” (AFSJ). The AFSJ therefore comprises policies relating to border controls, asylum and immigration; judicial cooperation in civil matters; judicial cooperation in criminal matters and police cooperation.
Research Briefing
This Research Paper has been prepared for the Commons stages of the Police (Detention and Bail) Bill, which is being fast-tracked and is due to undergo all of its remaining Commons stages on 7 July 2011. The Bill would reverse the effect of the High Court’s recent decision in the Hookway case, in which it held that the “detention clock” limiting the period that the police can hold a suspect for without charge continued to run when the suspect was released on bail
Research Briefing
This Research Paper has been prepared for the second reading of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill. The Bill covers a diverse range of issues, including legal aid; litigation funding and costs; sentencing; bail, remand and release on licence; prisoners’ pay and employment; out of court disposals and knives.
Research Briefing
The purpose of the Bill is to provide a modern and comprehensive scheme of bribery offences to equip prosecutors and courts to deal effectively with bribery in the UK and abroad. It replaces old and fragmented legislation with a modern and consolidated bribery law. The Bill creates offences of offering, promising or giving of a bribe and requesting, agreeing to receive or accepting of a bribe either in the UK or abroad, in the public or private sectors. It also creates a discrete offence of bribery of a foreign public official in order to obtain or retain business, and a new offence in relation to commercial organisations which fail to prevent a bribe being paid by those who perform services for or on behalf of the organisation.
Research Briefing
Home Office legislation since the 1997 general election. By John Woodhouse. SN/HA/3352.
Research Briefing
Religious hatred. By Lucinda Maer. SN/PC/3189.
Total results (page 15 of 17)