Bhatt Murphy is a London based solicitors’ firm specialising in the protection of civil liberties. Its web site includes a number of timelines, setting out major events in a number of areas, with links to relevant legislation and case law. Subjects covered include: public law, police misconduct, prisoners’ rights, immigration detention and migrant rights, deaths in custody, European Court of Human Rights and public inquiries.
Following the conviction of Ian Huntley for the murder of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman at Soham in 2003, an inquiry chaired by Sir Michael Bichard examined the manner in which the police had handled intelligence about Huntley’s past, and the vetting processes that had failed to prevent his employment in a school. The Bichard Inquiry Report is available here, as archived by the Institute of Education’s Digital Education Resource Archive.
Part of the Oxford University Press site, this provides online updates to one of the key practitioners’ works on criminal law and procedure. “Updating Content” includes both monthly updates and quarterly briefings.
The Centre for Crime and Justice Studies (CCJS) is an educational charity focusing on crime and the criminal justice system. It runs courses and conferences and publishes research papers, journals (including Criminal Justice Matters, 1989-2015) and conference reports. Most of its publications are available to download free. Since the discontinuation in 2011 of the HM Prison Service web site it has also hosted the Prison Service Journal September 2010 onwards. This is available free of charge (PDF).
The Court of Appeal Criminal Division section of the GOV.UK portal site has forms and guidance, details of the appeal procedure, the Criminal Procedure Rules, daily cause lists, and a link to the Criminal Division decisions database on the BAILII site.
The Crime Survey for England and Wales is an annual survey, conducted on behalf of the Home Office and the Office for National Statistics (ONS), of the public’s experience and perception of crime, reported and otherwise, in England and Wales. It was previously called the British Crime Survey. Updates are released quarterly. A link is provided to the ONS web site where the full survey results are published.
The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) is an independent body established in 1997 to investigate possible miscarriages of justice in the criminal courts of England, Wales and Northern Ireland and to refer appropriate cases to the appeal courts. The Case Library contains details of cases referred on to the Court of Appeal. These may be browsed alphabetically or filtered by name, offence and other criteria. There is a note in each case indicating whether or not the full judgment is available; if so this is via BAILII.
This report by Lord Justice Auld, published September 2001, is available here in full text, as archived by the National Archives. There is also a summary of the report.
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) is the executive agency of the Ministry of Justice which administers the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme in England, Scotland and Wales. Its pages on the GOV.UK portal site include the current, 2012 scheme, application forms, and (within “Transparency and freedom of information releases”) the latest annual report. To access the current scheme, and a link to previous schemes, select “Read more about What we do”.
Subscription service. Criminal Law Week provides an up-to-date and comprehensive weekly digest of developments in case law and legislation in the criminal law. It began in 1997 as a printed publication, was launched online in 1998, and acquired by Sweet & Maxwell (now Thomson Reuters) in 2008. It was founded, and edited until December 2017, by James Richardson QC. Services include updates and comment, a Statutes Service covering Acts from PACE (1984) onwards, archive of over 10,000 digests from 1997 onwards, powerful search facilities, links to full-text judgments, plus cumulative tables and subject index. The Statutes Service provides text of key criminal legislation (as amended) with full annotations (commencement dates, Hansard references and links, etc.).
The Criminal Procedure Rules (CrimPR) apply in all criminal trials in England and Wales. First introduced in 2005, they are now consolidated annually. The Criminal Procedure Rule Committee’s section of the GOV.UK web site provides access to the current rules and forms, information about recent changes, and to relevant Statutory Instruments.
Published on the Judiciary website and updated to December 2020, the main aim of this Compendium is “to provide guidance on directing the jury in Crown Court trials and when sentencing, though it contains some practical suggestions in other areas, for example jury management”. Part I deals with jury and trial management and summing up. Part II deals with sentencing in the Crown Court.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) was set up in 1986 to prosecute criminal cases investigated by the police in England and Wales. It has three casework divisions dedicated to fraud, organised crime and counter-terrorism respectively. Its web site includes the Code for Crown Prosecutors, Legal Guidance on a variety of offences, incorporating charging standards, and many other downloadable publications, including prosecution policies for various categories of offence.
The GOV.UK portal hosts this report of the inquiry by His Honour Gerald Butler QC, originally published 11 August 1999.
Published by the Department for Education on the GOV.UK web site, this report concerns a very serious assault which occurred at Edlington in 2009. The victims of the assault were two boys aged 11 and 9 years who did not know their attackers. The assault was perpetrated by two brothers aged 11 and 10 years. NB this version of the report is redacted, i.e. personal names and other sensitive information (occasionally extended passages) are blanked out.
This section of the GOV.UK portal gives details of government policies and initiatives on drugs, with links to other drugs-related sites. It contains information about drug laws and classifications, drugs licensing, and the work of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs.
HEUNI is an organisation based in Helsinki, affiliated to the United Nations, whose objective is to promote the international exchange of information on crime prevention and control among European countries. Its web site contains details of reports on crime prevention and criminal justice in Europe (many are available to download) and profiles of national criminal justice systems.
The European Judicial Network (EJN) is a network of contact points intended to facilitate judicial cooperation between EU member states in criminal matters. Its web site includes a Judicial Atlas which can be used to identify authorities to which to send requests for judicial cooperation, as well as information about the measures that can be requested, guidance about drafting and translating requests, documentation including legislation, and information about cooperation with third countries. Most of the information is freely available, but contact details and other information specific to contact points is password protected.
Famous Trials is a resource compiled by Douglas O. Linder of the University of Missouri-Kansas City Law School, originally intended for his own students. It presents materials (text and images) relating to celebrated trials from many historical periods. With the obvious exception of the earliest cases, the trials selected took place in the United States. Linder provides edited transcripts of evidence and judgments, related press coverage, biographies of key participants, and bibliographies.
The Fingerprint Inquiry arose out of concerns about the identification and verification of fingerprints in the Scottish case of HM Advocate v McKie in 1999. It was announced in March 2008, was chaired by Sir Anthony Campbell, a former judge of the Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland, and reported on 14 December 2011. Besides inquiring into and reporting on the facts of the McKie case itself, the Inquiry also set out to “… make recommendations as to what measures might now be introduced … to ensure that any shortcomings are avoided in the future”. The Inquiry’s web site, now archived by the UK Web Archive, includes transcripts of hearings, evidence and other documentation in addition to the full text (PDF) of its report. Part 6 of the report comprises four chapters on the law and practice of fingerprints in Scotland.
The First-tier Tribunal (Criminal Injuries Compensation) hears appeals against awards made by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme. Formerly known as the Criminal Injuries Compensation Appeals Panel (CICAP), it has since 3 November 2008 formed part of the First-tier Tribunal’s Social Entitlement Chamber. This section of the GOV.UK site includes the current Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, guidance documents, practice statements and protocols. There is a link to a database on the Courts and Tribunals Judiciary web site, which comprises appeals concerning criminal injuries compensation decided in the courts from 1982 onwards.
The Forensic Science Regulator regulates forensic science activities on behalf of the criminal justice system within the United Kingdom. The office lacks statutory powers at the present time. It provides here on the GOV.UK site regulatory notices, reports, codes of practice and conduct for forensic science providers and practitioners in the criminal justice system, and guidance on dealing with legal issues that can arise in the practice of forensic science and forensic pathology.
Her Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI) publishes reports on the performance of regional prosecution services throughout England and Wales, as well as thematic reports on specific criminal justice issues, and annual reports. Most of its publications are available on the web site.
The Home Office is a ministerial department whose responsibilities include borders and immigration, drugs policy, crime and policing, counter-terrorism and national security. The Home Office section of the GOV.UK web site provides information on its activities, policies, announcements, consultations, publications and statistics. Publications include Home Office Circulars 2003 onwards, accessible via a search under the publication type “News and Communications”. Other publications accessible by searching include the PACE codes of practice.
Circulars issued by the Home Office from 2003 to March 2013 are available to download via this page, archived by the National Archives. The circulars can be browsed by year and number.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) oversees the police complaints system and investigates the most serious incidents and complaints involving the police. It replaced the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) on 8 January 2018. Investigations into the most serious and sensitive matters (e.g. those involving deaths in custody) which are conducted by the IOPC itself are termed “independent investigations”. The IOPC’s web site includes details of complaint and appeal procedures, statutory guidance, investigation summaries and reports, and links to relevant legislation.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) is an independent permanent court, based in The Hague, which tries persons accused of the most serious crimes of international concern, namely genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Select “Resources Library” from the “Documents” menu to access Key texts including that of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (its founding treaty), the Rules of Procedure and Evidence, “Elements of Crimes”, which details the crimes within the ICC’s jurisdiction, the Code of Professional Conduct for Counsel and the Code of Judicial Ethics.
This guide, published on the GlobaLex site, is by Amy Burchfield, Head of Access and Faculty Services at the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law Library, Cleveland State University. Last updated in July/August 2017 by Andrew Dorchak, it gives, for each tribunal, background information on the conflict out of which its work arises, and information regarding online and print resources including case reports.
The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) was established by the United Nations following the genocide in Rwanda in 1994 and closed on 31 December 2015. This legacy site, maintained by the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, includes the Statute of the ICTR and other key documents; an alphabetical list of cases (with full text judgments); annual reports and press releases.
The Internet Journal of Criminology (IJC) is a scholarly online journal edited by Dr Mike Sutton, Reader in Criminology at Nottingham Trent University. All articles are free to download (PDF).
The role of Interpol (International Criminal Police Organization) is to facilitate international co-operation amongst criminal police authorities. Its web site includes detailed description of many aspects of Interpol’s work, with links to the responsible subsidiary bodies; information on member states; news releases, 2001 onwards and annual reports, 1998 onwards. The Legal Materials section (within Resources>Documents) has the Constitution and general regulations, resolutions adopted by Interpol’s General Assembly 1960 onwards, agreements with other organisations, and international conventions linked with Interpol’s activities.
The government’s white paper Justice for All (Cm 5563) on reform of the criminal justice system was published July 2002 and the reforms it proposed were embodied in the Criminal Justice Act 2003. The full text can be downloaded as a PDF file, archived by the National Archives.
Intended for solicitors needing advice on anti-money laundering (AML) compliance, this section of the Law Society’s web site has links to the Society’s Anti-Money Laundering Guidance (which replaced its AML Practice Note in 2018), information on training events and other sources of advice, and recent news.
The Magistrates Association represents eighty per cent of the serving magistrates in England and Wales. The “News and Comments” section of its web site includes Consultation Responses, Parliamentary Briefings and Position Statements, and also information about research conducted by the association.
Nacro is the current official name (since 1999) of the charity formerly known as the National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders (NACRO). It works to reduce crime principally by helping ex-offenders with their housing, employment and training needs. The web site gives information on all aspects of Nacro’s work. A large selection of publications are available free to download as PDFs.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) is a law enforcement agency which started operations in October 2013, replacing the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA). Its remit is to tackle serious and organised crime in the United Kingdom, strengthen UK borders, fight fraud and cyber crime, and protect children and young people from sexual abuse and exploitation.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) replaced the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) on 1 April 2015 as the body which co-ordinates operational policing and collaboration among police forces at the national level. The Publications section contains reports, reviews, responses to consultations, and minutes of Chief Constables’ Council meetings.
NIDirect is the official Government web site for Northern Ireland citizens. This section of the site provides information, with links, on the administration of justice in Northern Ireland including its criminal justice system. For information on the various agencies involved, which include the Police Service, Prison Service, Probation Board, Public Prosecution Service, Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service and Youth Justice Agency, select “The justice system” > “Introduction to the justice system”.
Following the discontinuation of the HM Prison Service site, Prison Service Orders (PSOs) remaining in force and Prison Service Instructions (PSIs) 1999 onwards are now accessible via this page of the Justice site, along with other guidance.
The Parole Board for England and Wales is an independent body which makes risk assessments to inform decisions on the release and recall of prisoners. Available here on the Parole Board pages of the GOV.UK portal site are annual reports, press releases and guidance. Links are provided to both current (2019) and recently revoked Parole Board Rules on the Legislation.gov.uk site: see “Parole: Guidance for Practitioners”.
This page of the GOV.UK portal presents the current versions of each of the Codes issued by the Home Office pursuant to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. The codes are as follows: A. Stop and search, B. Searching of premises and seizure of property, C. Detention, treatment and questioning, D. Identification, E. Audio recording of interviews with suspects, F. Visual recording with sound of interviews with suspects, G. Powers of arrest under section 24 the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 as amended by section 110 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005, and H. Detention, treatment and questioning of persons under the Terrorism Act 2000, s.41 & Schedule 8. Also included are consultations relating to the revision of the Codes and a selection of previous versions of the Codes, of various dates from 2006 onwards.
This is a policy paper, published in 2013 on the GOV.UK portal site, which sets out guidance on how HM Treasury and the Home Office work to combat money laundering and terrorism financing in the UK.
The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) investigates complaints in England and Wales from prisoners, those on probation, and those held in immigration removal centres. Established in 1994, the PPO has also been responsible since April 2004 for investigating all deaths of prisoners and residents of probation hostels and immigration detention accommodation. Downloadable publications include fatal incident reports, special investigation reports, recent annual reports, and a newsletter On the Case.
The Old Bailey is the familiar name for the Central Criminal Court in London. This site contains a fully searchable digitised collection of all surviving editions of the proceedings of the court from April 1674 to April 1913, a total of nearly 200,000 trials. As well as transcripts of the text, there are digital images of the original printed page in many instances.
The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) for Northern Ireland, which began operating in 2005, is the principal prosecuting authority in Northern Ireland. It fulfils a similar role to that of the Crown Prosecution Service in England and Wales and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in Scotland. The web site contains the Code for Prosecutors and information about the PPS’s role and procedures. Press releases are available from 2005 onwards and annual reports from 2010/11 onwards.
The Sentencing Council for England and Wales was set up in April 2010 under the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 to promote greater transparency and consistency in sentencing. As successor to the former Sentencing Guidelines Council and Sentencing Advisory Panel the Council is responsible for developing and monitoring “definitive sentencing guidelines” for the judiciary. All are available to download from the site’s Sentencing Guidelines section.
The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) investigates and prosecutes serious or complex fraud and corruption in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The “Publications” section includes annual reports (incorporating case notes) from 2011/12 onwards. “Our cases” provides summaries of concluded cases and progress reports on ongoing cases, listed alphabetically.
The Service Prosecuting Authority (SPA) was formed on 1 January 2009 by a merger of the Army Prosecuting Authority, the Naval Prosecution Authority and the Royal Air Force Prosecution Authority. Its web site includes information on the evolution of Service law and SPA’s role within it, and a brief description of the military criminal justice system. There are also press releases, policy documents and annual reports.
Harold Shipman, a former doctor, was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2000 for the murder of fifteen of his patients, and died in prison 13 January 2004. Following allegations that he may have murdered many more, a public inquiry was set up under the chairmanship of Dame Janet Smith DBE. The inquiry web site, now archived by the National Archives, provides full documentation including the six reports published between July 2002 and January 2005. Report topics include death certification and the investigation of deaths by coroners, the management and regulation of controlled drugs, and safeguarding patients.
This section of the GOV.UK portal includes recent reports and statistical publications on criminal and police matters. It also provides access, via a link to the archived (February 2011) Home Office Research Development and Statistics (RDS) site, to many older publications including full text of Home Office Research Studies, nos 1-299 (1969-2006), Home Office Research Reports nos 1-49 (2007-2011), Home Office Research Findings nos 1-283 (1992-2008) and the Home Office Statistical Bulletin 1979-2010.
Mark Ellison QC was asked by the Home Secretary in July 2012 to lead an independent review of possible corruption and the role of undercover policing in the Stephen Lawrence case. His report was presented to Parliament on 6 March 2014 and is available here on the GOV.UK site.
Report, published February 1999, of the inquiry chaired by Sir William MacPherson of Cluny into matters arising from the death of Stephen Lawrence on 22 April 1993. Its chief aim was “to identify the lessons to be learned for the investigation and prosecution of racially motivated crimes”.
Trial of the Major War Criminals before the International Military Tribunal, also known as the “Blue Series”, is the official published record of the trial in Nuremberg of the major civilian and military leaders of Nazi Germany who were accused of war crimes. All 42 volumes are available as large downloadable PDF files from this page of the Library of Congress’s Federal Research Division web site.
The Undercover Policing Inquiry is an independent public inquiry into the conduct of undercover policing in England and Wales since 1968. It was established by the Home Secretary on 12 March 2015, chaired initially by Sir Christopher Pitchford and since 25 July 2017 by Sir John Mitting. Content on its official site includes contact details, terms of reference, FAQs, transcripts of hearings, updates, directions, rulings and orders.
This was an independent inquiry set up to investigate the circumstances leading to the death of Victoria Climbié, aged 8, while in the care of her aunt and her aunt’s lover. The final report by Lord Laming, published January 2003, is available here on the GOV.UK site.
This Factbook is an initiative funded by the United States Bureau of Justice Statistics and contains reports on the criminal justice systems in operation in forty-seven countries. These are simply laid out in alphabetical order of country and are written to a common template for ease of comparison.
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