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 online world and those who inhabit it throw up challenges to the legitimacy of copyright law and the methods and effectiveness of enforcing it.
Research Briefing
This is a report on the House of Commons Committee Stage of the Protection of Freedoms Bill. It complements Research Paper 11/20 prepared for the Commons Second Reading.
Research Briefing
It is widely acknowledged that cyber attacks will increasingly be a key aspect of future warfare and organised crime. This note explains the increasing threat to national security posed by the new "front" of the cyber realm of networked, digital activities (often internet-based) and sets out the Government's response.
Research Briefing
The incorporation into UK law of the European Convention on Human Rights has led to the development of privacy law. This note summarises the effect of the Human Rights Act 1998 and the recent controversies over the use of injunctions and super-injunctions.
Research Briefing
During the Committee stage, several Government amendments were made to the provisions on police reform. Some (for example, on police complaints, police and crime plans and disqualifying people convicted of imprisonable offences from becoming or being police and crime commissioners) were on matters of substance. By contrast, there were only minor amendments to the provisions of the misuse of drugs and no substantive amendments to the parts of the Bill covering licensing, protests in Parliament Square or universal jurisdiction.
Research Briefing
This briefing on the Protection of Freedoms Bill was prepared for the House of Commons Second Reading debate. The Bill forms part of the Coalition Government's programme to “implement a full programme of measures to reverse the substantial erosion of civil liberties and roll back state intrusion”, and follows the passing of the Identity Documents Act 2010, which abolished identity cards. The Bill introduces a wide range of measures including the a new framework for police retention of fingerprints and DNA data, a requirement for schools to get parents’ consent before processing children’s biometric information, a new regime for police stops and searches under the Terrorism Act 2000 and the reduction of the maximum pre-charge detention period under that Act from 28 to 14 days. It also restricts the scope of the 'vetting and barring' scheme for protecting vulnerable groups and makes changes to the system of criminal records checks.
Research Briefing
Central government will provide approximately £73bn in grants to local authorities in England in 2011/12. This funding is made up of the formula grant, comprised of revenue support grant, redistributed business rate income and Home Office Police Grant where appropriate, and specific grants.
Research Briefing
The Anonymity (Arrested Persons) Bill is a Private Member’s Bill sponsored by Anna Soubry. It would prohibit the publication or broadcast of the name, address or image of a person arrested for an offence if such information would be likely to lead members of the public to identify him or her as the person suspected of committing the offence in question. These reporting restrictions would remain in force unless and until the arrested person was charged with the offence for which he or she had been arrested. In certain circumstances a Crown Court judge would be able to direct that the reporting restrictions should not apply, for example if publishing the identity of the suspect might lead to new complainants or witnesses coming forward.
Research Briefing
Both the National Security Strategy and the Strategic Defence and Security Review were published in October 2010, five months after the Government took office. This paper examines the main priorities and recommendations set out in each of those documents
Research Briefing
The Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA), including its exemptions, applies to the police. Section 29 of the Act details the "crime and taxation" exemption which allows personal data either to be processed or withheld from the data subject for the purposes of the prevention or detection of crime or the apprehension or prosecution of offenders.
Research Briefing
Security-related incidents, paramilitary-style attacks, and deaths due to the security situation in Northern Ireland. By Ross Young. SN/SG/2229.
Research Briefing
Firearms law is currently a reserved matter. However, arguing that Scotland has a significantly bigger problem with airgun-inflicted injury and death than the rest of Great Britain, the Scottish Parliament has called for the right to make its own laws on air weapons.
Research Briefing
This briefing on the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill has been prepared for the Second Reading debate on the Bill in the House of Commons. It specifically looks at areas covering police and arrest warrants; licensing; protests around parliament and the misuse of drugs.
Research Briefing
Article on the levels of confidence the public place in the police service, and how to interprete measures of trust and approval.
Total results (page 45 of 53)