The Legal 500 has published its United Kingdom 2026 edition of the best law firms. We are proud to share that Reeds Solicitors remain a Top Tier UK law firm. We’ve made even more improvements this past year, reinforcing our status as one of the best law firms in the country. What is the Legal […]
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It was widely reported this month that several train companies have unlawfully prosecuted individuals by misusing the Single Justice Procedure and up to 75,000 convictions for fare evasion offences have now been quashed. This is shocking news and could have enormous consequences for the train companies involved, especially given that bills could, in theory, run […]
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Yes. From 1 April 2026, the law in England and Wales changed, creating a new criminal offence targeting sex-based harassment. Behaviour often described as “sexual harassment” may now, in some situations, amount to a criminal offence. However, not every act of sexual harassment is a crime. The law draws a distinction between behaviour that is […]
Rape trials, along with murder, arson and treason have traditionally been considered capital crimes. This meant they have carried the death sentence. Rape law has always attracted controversy. In the 17th century, Sir Matthew Hale stated rape ‘‘is an accusation easily to be made and hard to be proved, and harder to be defended by […]
The drug culture in the financial sector has often been linked with glamour. From Charlie Sheen, playing a rookie broker, snorting cocaine in the back of a limousine in Wall Street to Leonardo DiCaprio’s wild portrayal of Jordon Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street, working hard and partying harder is seen as a badge […]
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It’s hard to believe that it is only just over a year since 15-year-old Greta Thunberg first sat alone outside the Swedish Parliament, refusing to go to school in protest at her government’s inaction regarding climate change. On the second day of her school strike for climate change, Greta was joined by others. Skip forward […]
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The number of people being caught driving under the influence of drugs is increasing according to the latest figures from the Ministry of Justice. There were 10,215 cases of drug driving brought before the courts in 2018, compared with 5,368 during the previous 12 months. In some areas, such as Suffolk, police state those stopped […]
For any company facing criminal proceedings, especially those involving financial fraud and bribery, it is important to understand the legal options available to mitigate the potential damage. One such route is to pursue deferred prosecution agreements (DPA). Here we outline the purpose of a deferred prosecution agreement, how a company can maximise its chances of […]
Innocent until proven guilty. We all say this without thinking about it. We think we know what it means, and we believe it to be inalienable. There are many ways in which it simply isn’t true. If a court has substantial grounds to believe that you might fail to surrender, interfere with witnesses or commit […]
Natasha’s Law has it’s origin in a tragic case in July 2016. Natasha Ednan-Laperouse boarded a flight from Heathrow Airport to Nice with her father. Prior to departure, she ate an artichoke, olive and tapenade baguette purchased from the main Pret a Manger shop in Terminal 5. Natasha had a severe allergy to sesame seeds […]
Abigail Ashford of our City of London office represented Laura Hughes of the Extinction Rebellion movement; who was today acquitted alongside her Co-Defendant at Uxbridge Magistrates Court; having been charged with an offence of aggravated trespass, following their participation in a protest against the proposed “HS2” project, back in December 2018. Full details of the case […]
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In May 2019, the National Crime Agency (NCA) issued an Unexplained Wealth Order (UWO) (the recipient cannot be named for legal reasons). It is the second time the use of this new weapon against anti-corruption has been employed. The suspect is a “politically exposed person” and suspected of being involved with organised crime. He has […]
Reeds wins Regulatory & White Collar Crime Team of the Year Award We are delighted to have won the “Regulatory & White Collar Crime Team of the Year” award at the Wales Legal Awards! We could not be more proud of our dedicated and hard working staff. The Judges noted that it was our […]
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Victims of crime, including those alleging rape and sexual assault, will now be asked to give their consent to the police to access their mobile phones. The police can then look at emails, messages and photographs relevant to the investigation. The Director of Public Prosecutions, Max Hill, has said that the police are limited to […]
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Upskirting allegations are treated seriously by the police and can lead to prosecution, imprisonment, and in some cases notification requirements associated with sexual offences. The law in England and Wales was strengthened by the Voyeurism (Offences) Act 2019, which amended the Sexual Offences Act 2003 to create a specific offence covering conduct commonly described as […]
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I was in our local Magistrates court the other day when I was approached by a young man and his mother. He had been convicted of using a mobile phone whilst driving. He was a probationary driver, and as the offence carries obligatory endorsement of 6 penalty points, his licence had been revoked and he […]
Read More… from Convicted in Absence – Statutory Declarations
Even though most drivers know about clearing snow and ice from their windscreen, many are unaware of the potential to be penalised even if the covering has no impact on their vision. Here are some areas where a driver may be penalised when driving in adverse weather. Driving in Adverse Weather Guidelines Section 229 of […]
A Review of Short Term Prison Sentences The Ministry of Justice is considering the removal of short term prison sentences – namely those of less than six months – in England and Wales. Exceptions to this would be if the sentence was for violent crime or a sexual offence. The proposals stem from the argument […]
The Assault on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018 (the Act) came into force on 13th November 2018 in response to increasing assaults on emergency workers. The Act does not create a new, freestanding offence, rather it provides that where the offence of common assault or battery is committed against an emergency worker acting in the […]
Solicitor and Team Leader for our mental health department, Sarah Griffiths-Jones, has been named one of Wales Online‘s 30 young lawyers to watch. The newspaper commented, “Sarah is one of just 30 accredited mental health solicitors in Wales, approved by the Law Society to represent patients detained under the Mental Health Act. Sarah has experience in […]
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A police interview under caution is recorded, but the prosecution papers may later contain a written summary rather than a full transcript of what was said. If that summary contains mistakes or leaves out important parts of a suspect’s account, it can present a misleading picture of their defence. Every criminal solicitor who has sat […]
New Guidelines: Breach of Court Orders The Sentencing Council has published new guidelines which came into effect on the 1st October 2018. Now, if you breach a court order imposed you will be subject to harsher punishment. The guidelines address breaches such as Community Orders and Suspended Sentence Orders and deals with 8 others, including […]