The offence of false imprisonmentFalse imprisonment is a common law offence but it is more common as a civil action in tort (see Practice Note: False...
The offence of possession of a bladed articleThe offence of having a bladed article in a public place can be tried in either the magistrates' court or...
Competency—general ruleThe most common way for evidence to be adduced is through the testimony of a witness. A witness is said to be competent if they...
Discretionary life sentencesA discretionary life sentence is a life sentence given to an offender in respect of an offence for which life imprisonment...
Section 9 and Schedule 1 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE 1984) afford access to material that cannot be obtained by an application...
What is a disclosure order?A disclosure order is, in general terms, an order authorising a request for information with which the recipient is obliged...
Obtaining services dishonestlyIt is an offence for a defendant to obtain, by any dishonest act, services for which payment is required, with intent to...
Defendant to raise their defenceA number of defences may apply in road traffic cases. These include:•automatism•insanity•duress and necessity, and•the...
Definition of automatismAn act is done in a state of automatism if it is done by the body without control by the mind, (eg it is a spasm or a reflex),...
Consent to specimens of blood and urine at the police stationThe police have the power to request a sample of blood or urine instead of a specimen of...
Duress by threatsDuress by threats provides a complete defence to a charge of any offence other than murder, attempted murder and potentially treason....
Section 5A of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (RTA 1988) is a summary offence that came into force in March 2015 and is a strict liability offence avoiding...