PI & Clinical Negligence analysis: The Court of Appeal considered the provisions of paragraphs 114 to 116 of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012 in relation to the circumstances in which a previously decided award can be re-opened on medical grounds. The judgment resulted in the court setting aside the decision of the Upper Tribunal (UT) which in turn had set aside the decision of the First Tier Tribunal (FTT) on judicial review that an application to re-open an award relating to damage to mental health arising out of an earlier incident of sexual abuse should be permitted. The judgment contains a thorough and useful analysis of the factors and considerations to be taken into account in medical re-opening cases and gives emphasis to their fact-sensitive nature. It identifies the error of law on the part of the UT in relation to its approach to the medical evidence that was before the FTT by reference to the way in which medical evidence is to be approached in relation to the Scheme criteria ie whether there has been so material a change in the medical condition of the applicant (appellant) that allowing the original determination to stand would give rise to an injustice. The judgment also dismissed grounds of appeal under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Written by Neil Sugarman, consultant, GLP Solicitors, Bury, Greater Manchester.

Corporate Crime analysis: The latest Criminal Justice Bill (the Bill) was introduced into Parliament on 14 November 2023. Though not primarily focused on corporate crime, the Bill completes the most significant reform of the law on criminal corporate liability in 50 years and proposes several other provisions of significant impact on corporates. Emily Agnoli, partner, and Jon Malik, supervising associate, at Simmons & Simmons, consider the scope of the Bill, its key provisions and the impact it will have.

Crime analysis: What will the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 (CJCA 2015) mean for jurors? Farrhat Arshad of Doughty Street Chambers comments on the impending changes which include the new ‘research by jurors’ offence.

Directions as to practice and procedure issued by the Lord Chief Justice under section 74 of the Courts Act 2003 and Schedule 2 to the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 concerning the practice and procedure of the criminal courts and should be read in conjunction with the Criminal Procedure Rules.

The Lord Chief Justice has the power under the Courts Act 2003 and the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 to make directions as to the practice and procedure of the criminal courts. These directions supplement, and should be read in conjunction with, the Criminal Procedure Rules 2025 (CrimPR 2025), SI 2025/909 as amended. For information on CrimPR 2025, SI 2025/909, see Practice Note: The Criminal Procedure rules. Together, the CrimPR 2025, SI 2025/909 and the Criminal Practice Directions (referred to as the CPD), govern the practice and procedure to be followed in all criminal courts including magistrates' courts, Crown Courts, Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) and in extradition appeal cases before the High Court. It is therefore important that all criminal lawyers are familiar with the requirements of both the CrimPR 2025, SI 2025/909 and the CPD. The CPD and the Practice Direction (Costs in Criminal Proceedings) are amended as required, usually in line with amendments to the CrimPR. The CPD were consolidated in 2023 as the Criminal Practice

ARCHIVED: This archived Practice Note provides background information on the changes to criminal procedure which took effect on 2 April 2018. The Criminal Procedure Rules 2015, SI 2015/1490 have subsequently been amended. See Practice Note: The Criminal Procedure Rules. This Practice Note states the law as at 2 April 2018 and is not maintained. It is for background information only. The Criminal Procedure Rules 2015 (CrimPR), SI 2015/1490, have received their first update of 2018 by the Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2018, SI 2018/132. These changes take effect on 2 April 2018. This Practice Note highlights the key additions and amendments to the CrimPR of which corporate crime practitioners should be aware. For information on the purpose and scope of the CrimPR generally, see Practice Note: The Criminal Procedure Rules. Overview of the changes The key amendments to the CrimPR in April 2018 for corporate crime lawyers include: • new rules on: ◦ starting a prosecution in the magistrates’ courts ◦ re-opening previous determinations in the Court of Appeal ◦ applying

ARCHIVED: This archived Practice Note provides background information on the changes to criminal procedure which took effect on 13 November 2017. The Criminal Procedure Rules 2015, SI 2015/1490 have subsequently been amended on numerous occasions. See Practice Note: The Criminal Procedure Rules. This Practice Note states the law as at 13 November 2017 and is not maintained. It is for background information only. The Criminal Procedure Rules 2015 (CrimPR), SI 2015/1490, have been further updated by the Criminal Procedure (Amendment No 4) Rules 2017, SI 2017/915. These changes take effect on 13 November 2017. This Practice Note highlights the key additions and amendments to the CrimPR of which corporate crime practitioners should be aware. Note that additional amendments to the CrimPR come into force on 2 October 2017. For information on those key changes to the CrimPR, see Practice Note: Criminal Procedure Rules (CrimPR)—update August and October 2017 [Archived]. For information on the purpose and scope of the CrimPR generally, see Practice Note: The Criminal Procedure Rules. Requirements for defendants to provide their

The Criminal Procedure Rule Committee and the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) have updated two forms under Part 42 of the Criminal Procedure Rules 2025, SI 2025/909 (CrimPR) governing appeals under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA 2002). The CrimPR 42.11 form, entitled ‘Notice and grounds of application for leave to appeal, and appeal, about confiscation under s.31 POCA 2002’ has been redesigned as a consolidated form covering all Court of Appeal applications under Part 42 CrimPR and the new appeal provisions in POCA 2002, Pt 2, extending its scope beyond prosecutor confiscation appeals. The CrimPR 42.12 form, entitled ‘Respondent’s notice and grounds of opposition to appeal about confiscation under s.31 POCA 2002’ has been amended to reflect: (1) the replacement of the former section 31 appeal regime with the new section 67 appeal framework; (2) the expansion of appeal rights beyond confiscation to other POCA 2002 decisions and (3) the removal of obsolete references to the Assets Recovery Agency, replacing them with the current categories of parties entitled to appeal.

The Criminal Procedure Rule Committee has brought the Criminal Procedure Rules 2025 into force, replacing the Criminal Procedure Rules 2020 and all amendments made since then. The consolidated rules include changes that reinforce open justice by explicitly requiring parties who apply for discretionary reporting restrictions in criminal cases to notify the media of applications. The updated rules clarify that the responsibility for notification lies with the applicant, ensuring that journalists are informed and able to challenge reporting restrictions order applications where appropriate. The requirement applies to discretionary reporting restrictions, such as those protecting vulnerable witnesses or ensuring fair trials, and does not affect automatic restrictions already in place for youth cases and certain offences. The changes follow collaborative work between the Criminal Procedure Rule Committee and media organisations including the Media Lawyers Association and News Media Association, with support from HM Courts & Tribunals Service's Media Working Group.

The Criminal Procedure Rule Committee has announced amendments to the Criminal Procedure Rules and has published a guide detailing these changes. The changes to the rules are due to take effect on 7 April 2025, except for the corrections to previous rules which come into force on 24 February 2025. The guide explains what the new rules are and the background behind them.

The Criminal Procedure Rule Committee and the Ministry of Justice have updated the Criminal Appeal Office Form NG Confiscation Order for appeals against confiscation orders under Part 39 of the Criminal Procedure Rules. The changes introduce a new section B2 and update the Criminal Appeal Office applications email address to criminalappealoffice.applications@justice.gov.uk.

The Criminal Procedure Rule Committee has published the updated index to the Criminal Procedure Rules 2025, SI 2025/909 (CrimPR 2025) and the Criminal Practice Directions 2023 (CPD 2023). The revised index consolidates all amendments, including references to the latest versions of CrimPR 2025 and CPD 2023, the associated forms, and supporting documents such as the glossary and practice directions on costs. This updated index provides an organised, cross-referenced guide to every Part of the CrimPR 2025 and CPD 2023—from case management and evidence to sentencing, appeals, and extradition—ensuring that users can locate current provisions efficiently.