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Martin, Johnston & Socha Insights

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

Edinburgh man jailed for speeding

An Edinburgh man has been convicted by a jury of causing death by dangerous driving, reports the BBC.

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2048 Hits

Man sentenced for sexual assaults

At Martin Johnston & Socha we like to keep up-to-date with cases passing through the criminal courts, so we were interested to read that a 62 year old man was recently sentenced to 18 months imprisonment and placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for sexually assaulting three women.

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2424 Hits

Former top judge expresses concern about corroboration changes

One of Scotland’s most respected judges has said that he will be “very sad” to see the requirement for corroboration in criminal cases abolished, reports the BBC.

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2149 Hits

FBO imposed after trouble in city bar

Earlier this month a man was sentenced to five months’ imprisonment and a two-year Football Banning Order at the Sheriff Court at Glasgow, after trouble flared at a city bar on Renfield Street where the England v Scotland football match was being televised.

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2256 Hits

Calls for stronger EU action against gun violence

Figures released by the European Commission have shown that in the EU as a whole, more than one thousand people are victims of homicide by firearms each year, and half a million firearms that have been registered as lost or stolen in the EU remain unaccounted for.

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2095 Hits

Older drink drivers on the increase

The equivalent of one person over the age of 50 was charged with drink driving every hour in 2012, according to new research by car insurer swiftcover.com. The study reveals that there has also been a 20% increase in drink driving amongst the over 80s since 2010.

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3038 Hits

Domestic abuse reports surge

New statistics published this week indicate that 60,080 domestic abuse incidents were reported to the police across the country in 2012-13. Overall, the number of domestic abuse incidents resulting in a report being submitted to the procurator fiscal have increased significantly from 2003-2004, where only 51% of cases were reported to the fiscal, to 78% last year.

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2106 Hits

Developments in prosecuting domestic abuse

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (CoPFS) has appointed a new specialist prosecutor to co-ordinate the prosecution service's response to domestic abuse cases from across Scotland.

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Satellite tracking of offenders

The Scottish Government is consulting on plans to use GPS satellite tracking to track the whereabouts of sex offenders, including those convicted of sex crimes. It launched the plans this week.

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Five year FBO for sectarian singing

A man was fined £350 and had a five year Football Banning Order (FBO) imposed earlier this week for shouting an offensive sectarian remark during a recent Hearts v Celtic fixture. It is the latest in a series of cases in which FBOs have been imposed.

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2594 Hits

Drop in reconviction rates

The Government’s latest analysis of reconviction rates has revealed a drop in the number of people being reconvicted within one year of their being released from custody or given a non-custodial sentence.

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No more automatic early release for serious offenders

The Scottish Government is planning to end the automatic early release of prisoners who present the most serious potential risks to the public. It made the announcement when publishing details of its latest programme of legislation.

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2091 Hits

Uninsured and unlicensed drivers targeted

Nearly two hundred drivers were caught last week in a Police Scotland initiative targeting unlicensed and uninsured drivers. As part of the initiative, the police used powers under Section 165A of The Road Traffic Act 1988, which allows them to seize the vehicles of motorists caught driving without insurance or a licence.

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2211 Hits

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