333 people died in or immediately after police custody in the years 1999 to 2009,  according to statistics from the Independent Police Complaints Commission. The MoJ report that last year 58 prisoners committed suicide. Now, for the first time, police forces, prisons, youth detention centres and the UK Border Agency could face prosecution for corporate homicide if an individual dies in their custody.

Section 2(1)(d) of the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 prescribes a duty of care to a person who, by reason of being a person within subsection (2), is someone for whose safety the organisation is responsible. Subsection (2) states that a person is within this subsection if – Read the full story

The Home Office has launched plans to tackle violence against women and girls. Spouses and partners of UK residents who are forced to flee their relationships as a result of domestic violence will now be able to access vital support services.
The UN declaration on violence against women defines such violence as Read the full story

For the first time victims of stalking have had their ordeal recognised in official government guidance. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has published revised guidance on stalking and harassment. It emphasises the existence and widespread nature of stalking as a particular category of harassment and it identifies the various ways in which stalking occurs. Read the full story

The standard of work expected of public prosecutors, at every stage of the prosecution process, has been published this week and is open for consultation. The consultation document on core quality standards for prosecutors covers 12 key areas, from providing advice to police before a charge to sentencing and appeal processes. Read the full story

“The public’s right to live in safety and to be protected from criminal conduct lies at the heart of the criminal justice system. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office (RCPO) protect the public by prosecuting firmly and fairly, Read the full story