• 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.

  • Research Briefing

    Counter-Terrorism and Security Bill

    The Bill has seven parts, designed to reduce the terrorism threat to the UK. It would strengthen powers to put temporary restrictions on travel and modify the Terrorist Prevention and Investigation Measures. It would extend the retention of relevant communications data, strengthen security for travel arrangements and make the existing Prevent programme statutory as well as address the payment of insurance for ransoms.

  • 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?

  • Research Briefing

    The August 2011 riots: a statistical summary

    This article, published in October 2011, provides a summary of the Ministry of Justice statistical updates produced throughout August and September on those brought before the courts, for offences relating to this public disorder. In October 2011 more detailed statistical publications were released relating to the offences committed and offenders prosecuted.

  • Research Briefing

    The “right to be forgotten”

    In May 2014 the European Court of Justice ruled that a user had the right to have links to web pages about him removed from Google’s search results because the passage of time had made them “irrelevant”. This Note examines what the judgment means for search engines, for individuals and for the UK.

  • Research Briefing

    Election addresses

    This note looks briefly at the current provisions covering the free postage of election addresses and the decision to make the election addresses of the candidates for the Police and Crime Commissioner elections in 2012 available on a central website instead of mailing them to households. Turnout at the PCC elections averaged 14.7% across all police areas. Following the death of the Police and Crime Commissioner for the West Midlands a by-election is to be held on 21 August 2014. The Government has published a draft Order to allow booklets containing the candidates’ election addresses to be delivered to homes in the West Midlands.

  • Research Briefing

    The Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Bill

    An emergency Bill, the Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Bill, is due to pass through all its parliamentary stages between 15 and 17 July. The Bill aims to allow police and security agencies to have continued access to communications data in order to combat crime and terrorism. This Note summarises the background, the Bill and criticisms that have been made of it.

  • 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.

  • 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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