Criminal Justice System

OCS, the international facilities management services company, has been appointed by Her Majesty’s Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) to provide security services encompassing security guarding and alarm monitoring. HMCTS has invested in new contracts to deliver more time efficient, consistent and user-focused services across its…

National Police Chiefs’ Council chairman Martin Hewitt has said that the planned Royal Commission on the effectiveness of the criminal justice system is an opportunity to review the policing model in England and Wales such that it better meets 21st Century threats. Hewitt said: “We…

Almost all of us have been affected by crime at some point in our lives, writes Diana Fawcett. Whether through personal experience of a crime or being reminded by terrible acts in the news, crime can have a devastating impact on individuals, making them feel…

The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) has approved the return of Eurofins Forensics Services to the forensics marketplace following the criminal cyber attack suffered in June. The ransomware attack – targeting parent company Eurofins Scientific – affected the IT systems of its forensics subsidiary, which…

Justice Secretary David Gauke has called for an “evidence-led” approach towards tackling re-offending in order to crack down on crime and reduce the number of victims. The intervention comes as new research reveals that repeat offenders cost society more than £18 billion per annum, with…

Profound and far-reaching aspects of police reform are needed or services face unacceptable compromises in quality of service levels of public safety, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services has warned. In his annual assessment of policing in England and Wales…

Government ministers have met with senior police officers and prosecutors at a high-profile summit aimed at improving the disclosure of digital evidence in the criminal justice system. Solicitor General Lucy Frazer QC and policing minister Nick Hurd hosted Max Hill (Director of Public Prosecutions), Metropolitan…

Forensic science in England and Wales “is in trouble” and, unless the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice act now, “crimes may go unsolved and the number of miscarriages of justice may increase”. To ensure the effective delivery of justice, the House of Lords…

The Home Office has published a detailed 13-point Action Plan with a view towards improving police forensics. These commitments are designed to enhance public confidence, support the criminal justice system and ensure the quality and stability of forensics provision going forward. The Action Plan is…

Victoria Atkins, the Minister for Crime, Safeguarding and Vulnerability, is now examining options for providing further protections for shop workers from acts of violence and abuse. The Government’s Call for Evidence – issued by the Home Office – is intended to help strengthen the evidence…