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Martin, Johnston & Socha Insights

Criminal Law news & updates from Martin, Johnstone & Socha's expert criminal defence solicitors.

UK Drivers Consider Themselves to be more Law-Abiding

A new study has found that motorists in the UK consider themselves to be more law-abiding than drivers in many other countries when it comes to using a mobile phone while driving.

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1660 Hits

VRU calls for increased police say on alcohol licencing rules

A Scottish police unit has backed calls to introduce minimum alcohol pricing, as well as backing stricter licencing laws, in a bid to help reduce violent crime in Scotland.

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1268 Hits

New Strategy to Tackle Human Trafficking

The Scottish Government has launched a new strategy to tackle the crime of human trafficking.

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1358 Hits

Couple Convicted after Long Running Fraud Trial

A criminal trial that began back in September 2015 has finally concluded with guilty verdicts for a married couple from Renfrewshire, reports the BBC.

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Speeding is the Main Cause of Penalty Points

Drivers can receive penalty points for a variety of different offences, but according to new research, speeding is the offence that leads to the most points being added to driving licenses in the UK.

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1382 Hits

Police Campaign Targets Drink and Drug Drivers

Police Scotland carried out 3,619 breath tests during a week-long campaign to tackle drink and drug driving across the country. From these tests, 121 drivers were detected for drink or drug driving offences.

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Reconviction Rates Fall in Scotland

New statistics from Scotland’s Chief Statistician have revealed that reconviction rates for offenders in Scotland are at the lowest levels for eighteen years. 

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1357 Hits

Latest Figures Reveal Increase in Financial Fraud

The latest figures from Financial Fraud Action UK show that financial fraud losses across payment cards, remote banking and cheques totalled £768.8 million in 2016, which is an increase of 2% compared to the previous year.

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1308 Hits

New Drug-Driving Offence to be Introduced in Scotland

The Scottish Government has recently announced plans to introduce drug-driving limits and roadside testing in Scotland.

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1412 Hits

Bird of Prey Crime in Scotland

The number of recorded bird of prey crimes in Scotland fell by 26% during 2016, according to recently published figures.

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1674 Hits

First Card-sharing Conviction in Scotland

In the first prosecution of its kind in Scotland, a 25-year-old man has been convicted on offences relating to ‘card sharing’, a cyber-crime which involved protected tv broadcasts, such as Sky and BT, to be viewed without first having paid subscription to the company providing the broadcast.

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1402 Hits

Domestic Abuse in Scotland

The Scottish Government has introduced a new bill to Parliament that will give additional powers to tackle those who psychologically abuse their partners using coercive and controlling behaviour.

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1460 Hits

Calls for More Action to Tackle Drug Driving

The issue of drug driving has been very much under the spotlight recently, with several organisations calling for greater action to tackle this crime and reduce the number of needless deaths and injuries on the country’s roads.

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1403 Hits

Police Video Results in Domestic Abuse Conviction

A man from south London who assaulted a woman and a boy in a domestic violence incident has been prosecuted using evidence provided by a police body-worn video.

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Sharp Rise in Incidents of Identify Fraud

Recently released figures from Cifas, the fraud prevention service, have revealed that in 2016 the number of identify frauds reached the highest levels every recorded.

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Penalties Double for Driving with a Mobile Phone

Increased penalties are now in force for drivers caught using their mobile phones at the wheel, the UK Government has confirmed.

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1912 Hits

Courts Service Outlines Fine Enforcement Measures

The Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service (SCTS) has recently emphasised the importance of paying criminal fines, and issued a reminder of the measures it can take to recover unpaid fines.

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1558 Hits

Joint Operations with Europol Lead to Arrests

UK law enforcement organisations have worked closely with Europol in several recent operations that led to a number of significant arrests.

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1286 Hits

National Standards for Forensic Examination

The Scottish Government has recently announced that new nationwide standards are to be introduced to ensure consistent delivery of forensic medical examinations for victims of sexual violence.

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Week of Police Action on Uninsured Driving

Police Scotland has highlighted the need for all drivers to make sure they hold valid car insurance, as it takes part in a week of action targeting uninsured drivers in conjunction with the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB).

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1509 Hits

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