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 […]
Read More… from 75,000 Unlawful Prosecutions? The Fare Evasion Prosecution Scandal Explained
“HMO” stands for House of Multiple Occupancy. Under the Housing Act 2004 it is a criminal offence to operate an unlicensed HMO, where a licence is required. This can be a confusing area for even experienced practitioners to negotiate, so it is no surprise that an increasing number of people seem to be getting caught […]
The Sentencing Council, responsible for setting sentencing guidelines in England and Wales, has issued a new guideline in relation to manslaughter offences. [Edit: this article was originally published in July 2018, and may not be fully accurate. If you require advice, assistance or reputation for anything related to manslaughter, please contact our solicitors now.] If […]
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Clare Fear successfully opposed an AG reference against our client’s sentence at the Court of Appeal on the 25th July, in the case of R v H . Our client was sentenced to a community order for conveying cannabis into prison. The Attorney General referred the sentence to the Court of Appeal, arguing that it […]
Read More… from R v H – CLARE FEAR SUCCESSFUL IN COURT OF APPEAL
When a loved one dies your life can be turned upside down. If your loss is then complicated by the need for an Inquest to establish the cause of death, it can be simply overwhelming. The Inquest hearing itself can be very daunting, taking place in a formal court room type setting; often with several […]
As reported in the media on a near daily basis, there has been a significant upturn in the use of knives across the country over the past few years. Parliament published their Knife Crime Briefing on 25th June 2018 which gave statistical support to this worrying trend. In the year ending March 2017 there were 34,700 […]
In the wake of recent reports of Prosecution failures to disclose relevant material on the defence, one of our our High Wycombe office successfully persuaded the Prosecution to discontinue a case following an abuse of process argument she raised, after crucial defence evidence was not served by the Prosecution. Evidence Disclosure: Not disclosed to Defence The case […]
In our ever developing technological society, when our daily lives involve us readily accessing the internet, much of our personal information and search history are stored and can be found at the click of a button. “Cybercrime” is understandably therefore, evolving and flourishing. Cybercrime is essentially any crime that is conducted through or using an […]
NOTE: This article is now out of date. Upskirting was made a chargeable offence in 2019. For further information, please consider reading our article “Upskirting Law”. Campaigners are currently calling for urgent changes to be made to the law to criminalise the behaviour frequently referred to as “upskirting”. “Upskirting” is the act of taking a […]
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A Section 49 RIPA notice allows the police to require access to encrypted data, including passwords, PINs and encryption keys for phones and other digital storage devices. Many people first come into contact with this issue at the police station, where an officer may ask for a phone PIN and warn of potential consequences if […]
Read More… from Section 49 RIPA Notice Explained – Police Powers and Risks
The Sentencing Council have today announced new guidelines on domestic abuse, ahead of the extra protection planned for victims of stalking due later in the year. This will in turn, mean an increase in the severity of sentences for those convicted of allegations relating to domestic abuse. The new guidelines, which will take effect in May […]
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Reeds are delighted to be able to report three more successes in defending ‘grooming ring’ allegations, following the extraordinary results in “Operation Nautical” 1 and 2. After a 3 month trial, ‘J’, represented by our Oxford based Head of Chambers Lucy Tapper and Lisa Wilding QC of Furnival Chambers, was unanimously acquitted of all charges he faced. […]
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A new police watchdog has launched to investigate wrongdoing by police forces across England and Wales. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has replaced the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) and will additionally have strengthened powers. Unlike its predecessor, the IOPC will be able to initiate its own investigations without first relying on the police to […]
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The case of Michael Camp, heard in a Lincoln Magistrates Court, is bound to cause significant controversy and indeed likely CPS appeal. District Judge Peter Veits concluded that the Defendant’s drunken state was sufficient to provide him with a “reasonable excuse” for not providing the mandatory second specimen of breath. Reasonable Excuse A reasonable excuse […]
Helen Warren, solicitor advocate at our Milton Keynes Office, was recently led by Craig Harris of Furnival Chambers in the defence of an individual charged as part of Operation Kruse. Their combined skill, tactical astuteness and determination lead to their client being acquitted following a lengthy trial at Luton Crown Court. The case – Operation Kruse […]
Read More… from Luton Crown Court: Helen Chenery Successfully Defends Alleged Gang Member
It has long been the case that Defendants appearing in criminal proceedings in Court are required to confirm their identity by way of their name, and usually also their date of birth, at the outset of a hearing. However new identity rules will be imposed from today, 13 November 2017. Defendants will be required to […]
In the recent judgment of Ivey v Genting Casinos Ltd Crockfords, the court stated that the 35-year-old two-stage test defined in R v Ghosh [1982] EWCA Crim 2 has ‘serious problems’ and that it does not correctly represent the law. The court unanimously dismissed an appeal from Phil Ivey to recover winnings from a 2012 […]
Read More… from Dishonesty: Landmark Judgement Redefines Meaning
We’ve recently discussed diversity issues in the justice system. Further to this Labour MP, David Lammy has recently published a highly critical report stating prosecutions against certain black and minority-ethnic suspects should be deferred or dropped in order to help tackle the bias against them. According to his report, young people are nine times more […]
Read More… from Racial Bias Within the Criminal Justice System in England and Wales?
An important new area of investigation has opened with regard to explaining possible ‘shaken baby’ cases. Richard Wainman, solicitor in our High Wycombe Office, acted on behalf of the child through her Guardian in the case of Buckinghamshire Council Council v Andrews and Stillwell [2017] EWFC B19. Suspicions of Non-Accidental Injury to Infant Child In […]
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If you have been charged with a criminal offence your first court appearance will always take place in the Magistrates’ Court. Depending on the seriousness of the charges against you and whether or not you plead guilty or not guilty, your case will be heard in the aforementioned court or transferred to the Crown Court. […]
Citation: [2016] EWCA Crim 1754 Child Abduction Advocate: Tony Bignall Crown Court Annex: Bristol Summary Both these cases which are connected have been referred to the full court by the Registrar. Each involves an offence of child abduction. There is no guidance on sentencing from the Sentencing Guidelines Council or Sentencing Council. The offences can […]
Read More… from R V RH and Another – Appeal Against Sentence