The criminal offences that can be included under the umbrella term ‘domestic abuse’ have been in the news recently, not least because of the proposals to add those convicted of them to the offenders who must sign on to the violent and sexual offences register. The passing of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 will undoubtedly […]
The topic of the offence of controlling and coercive behaviour has been discussed widely in the Press recently. Section 76 of the Serious Crime Act 2015 created this relatively new offence. It has an obvious overlap with domestic abuse, sex, honour-based violence and stalking/harassment offences. This can at times lead to some confusion about how […]
With 800 Met Police officers being investigated, facing sexual and domestic abuse claims and other accusations of potential Met Police misconduct, the question many are asking is what next for the Metropolitan Police? The announcement of the arrest of PC David Carrick who subsequently pleaded guilty to 49 offences including dozens of rapes, has forced […]
You may have recently enjoyed the BBC’s programme ‘The Gold’, a retelling of the story of the Brink’s-Mat heist in 1983. But what does it have to do with keeping up the PACE? During the programme you may have noticed some delicate references to police behaviour at the time. For example, that cautions were not […]
Occupation orders are a legal tool that can be used to protect an associated person for example current/ former spouse, civil partner] and their children in a range of different circumstances but what is an occupation order? An occupation order enforces who has the right to live in a family home, and who cannot. It can […]
The question as to what each spouse entitled to from a divorce is an important one. In the UK, divorce settlements aim to split the family’s assets and property as close to evenly as possible. While a 50/50 split will not always be the case as – there may be very specific reasons why one […]
Andrew Stephens is a specialist criminal law barrister who acts solely for the defence. He is regularly instructed in serious matters as well as those needing that bit of extra care as Andrew is adept at dealing with both clients and witnesses with vulnerabilities. Andrew is also particularly well regarded for the way he deals […]
One form of criminal exploitation that is now never far from the headlines is cuckooing. Recently there have been hundreds of arrests as police all over the UK crack down on County Lines crime. Cuckooing has been a major factor in many of these cases but why is cuckooing on the rise? What is cuckooing? […]
Richard is Westgate Chambers’ Head of Chambers. A specialist in criminal, regulatory and civil work, Richard has been described as “a very skillful advocate who exudes charm and confidence” and repeatedly praised for both his advocacy skills and the quality of his advice. However, in the first of a new series of spotlights on Westgate […]
Historically the 5 years separation rule was one of five available grounds for divorce in England and Wales, a factor you could use to show your marriage had broken down irretrievably. If after 5 years both parties were in contact and in agreement regarding the divorce, it offered a quick and easy way to end […]