The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill (Bill 7 of 2013-14) is due to have its report stage on 14 and 15 October 2013. This note sets out the debate so far.
This note, prepared for the parliamentary debate on 15 July 2013, looks briefly at the current situation regarding the UK's 2014 decision on justice and home affairs measures and lists the 35 measures the Government would like to opt back into.
This Bill, which is wide-ranging, will receive its second reading in the House of Commons on 10 June 2013. Amongst other changes, it would reform the “tool kit” of remedies for anti-social behaviour; amend the law on dangerous dogs; introduce new firearms offences; criminalise forced marriage; give powers to the new College of Policing; implement some of the Winsor report’s recommendations on police remuneration; provide new powers for the Independent Police Complaints Commission; and make changes to compensation for miscarriage of justice.
This note outlines the reasons for the Partnership (Prosecution) Scotland) Bill. This is one of a series of Bills suggested by the Law Commissions of either Scotland or England & Wales.
This note considers the potential criminal liability of householders who use force against intruders. Such householders will have a complete defence if they can demonstrate they were using reasonable force in self defence. However, cases such as those of Tony Martin and Munir Hussain have led some to call for a change in the law so that the test is one of "not grossly disproportionate force" rather than "reasonable force". The Government is now proposing to legislate for such a change by way of the Crime and Courts Bill.
This Bill is due to go through all its Commons stages under the Fast-Track procedure on 5 December 2012. It would make two changes to the powers of the Independent Police Complaints Commission. These are designed to enable the Commission to investigate allegations against the police in relation to the Hillsborough disaster. The Bill has reportedly been welcomed by the Opposition. It extends to England and Wales, and parts of it extend to the whole UK.
This note considers proposals to introduce a new route for the prosecution to appeal against Crown Court decisions to grant bail to suspects in criminal cases.
The Commons is due to consider Lords Amendments to the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill on Tuesday 17 April 2012. This note draws attention to the principal changes, additions and deletions that were made in the Lords.
In 2014 the UK Government must make a decision on whether to opt into the body of police and criminal justice measures in the former ‘third pillar’ of the EU Treaties that remain unamended since the Treaty of Lisbon came into force in December 2009.
This is a report on the House of Commons committee stage of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill. It complements Research Paper 11/53. In the Bill’s remaining stages, it is likely that the areas that will prove most contentious will be the restrictions on legal aid, the introduction of new offences and possible Government amendments on squatting and self-defence and sentences of imprisonment for public protection.
This Bill is a Private Members’ Bill introduced by Sir Paul Beresford. It has received Government support. This Bill was introduced into the Commons on 30 June 2010, and received its second reading without debate on 18 March 2011. The Government tabled a series of amendments for the Bill’s committee stage, which were welcomed by Sir Paul. These amendments were all added to the Bill without division. The Bill is due to have its report stage on Friday 21 October 2011.
The creation of the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice is based on the Tampere (1999-04), Hague (2004-09) and Stockholm (2010-14) programmes. It derives from the pre-Lisbon Title IV TEC (Visas, asylum, immigration and other policies related to free movement of persons) and Title VI TEU (Provisions on police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters) and is now Title V of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, the “Area of freedom, security and justice” (AFSJ). The AFSJ therefore comprises policies relating to border controls, asylum and immigration; judicial cooperation in civil matters; judicial cooperation in criminal matters and police cooperation.
This Research Paper has been prepared for the Commons stages of the Police (Detention and Bail) Bill, which is being fast-tracked and is due to undergo all of its remaining Commons stages on 7 July 2011. The Bill would reverse the effect of the High Court’s recent decision in the Hookway case, in which it held that the “detention clock” limiting the period that the police can hold a suspect for without charge continued to run when the suspect was released on bail
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.