Major recruitment drive launched to sign up new magistrates amid court reforms

The Government has launched a recruitment drive in the new year after setting out reforms to the courts system last month to tackle the crown court backlog. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said more than 2,000 more magistrates have been trained since 2022 and the latest call seeks to increase… Thousands of new magistrates are being sought to volunteer in England and Wales as part of efforts to speed up justice for victims....

The 'right to be forgotten'

Rehabilitation in the Digital Age A new briefing from Unlock, the charity which supports and advocates for people with criminal records to be able to move on positively in their lives, examines how the digital age has undermined the promise of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (ROA) and sets… Russell Webster reviews new research which looks at the challenges of rehabilitating offenders in the digital age. ...

Webinar: learning from the Sara Sharif Review

This webinar offers a sensitive, multi-agency exploration of the key learning emerging from the Sara Sharif Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review. Facilitated by a specialist in cultural competence, intersectional safeguarding and challenging systemic inequity, the session provides a reflective space for practitioners to examine what happened and what it means… Red Snapper Learning (RSL) is holding a webinar on this key safeguarding review case on December 12. You can book your place through the link at the bottom of the article. ...

Webinar Invitation: Learning from the Sara Sharif Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review

Join Police Oracle for a vital, multi-agency webinar exploring the key lessons from the Sara Sharif Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review. Sara Sharif tragically lost her life, highlighting systemic failures in safeguarding and the urgent need for reflective, culturally competent practice. This session provides practitioners with a safe, reflective space… By Chris English...

The Balance - Finding the right time to engage with service users

The following is a case study from the RSMS’ Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Programme, in which a service user was struggling to find themselves in the right headspace to engage fully with the programme and how our facilitator navigated their difficulties: Concerns for the Service User’s current partner had been raised… By Chris English...

Hidden Harm: The Overlooked Reality of Domestic Violence in LGBTQ+ Communities

Understandably, domestic abuse is now widely recognised as a critical social issue. However, violence and aggression within relationships from the LGBTQ+ community remains underreported and frequently misunderstood within the Criminal Justice System. The prevalence of domestic abuse in LGBTQ+ relationships is consistent with, and sometimes higher than, rates of domestic… By Jake Neller ...

Dire’ prison conditions putting rehabilitation at risk

The report “Ending the cycle of reoffending – part one: rehabilitation in prisons” concludes that prisons are in a “state of disrepair”. MPs on the cross-party committee called on the Government to set out how it will ensure that rehabilitation is not compromised or deprioritised, alongside how it intends to… Prison overcrowding, staffing shortages and deteriorating infrastructure is having a ‘profound impact on the ability of prisons to deliver rehabilitation’, a new report published by the Justice Committee has said....

Wrongful releases of 91 prisoners since April is ‘shocking’ – No 10

The publication comes as Justice Secretary David Lammy was set to face questions from MPs over the issue, after it was revealed two prisoners had been freed in error following the high-profile jail blunder of Hadush Kebatu, the now-deported migrant at the heart of protests in Epping, Essex. A No… The data, released by the Ministry of Justice on Tuesday, shows 91 accidental releases took place between April 1 and October 31 this year....

Child cruelty register could be introduced in same way sex offenders register works

The possible move comes amid a campaign from a mother with terminal cancer, Paula Hudgell, whose adopted son was badly abused by his birth parents. Justice Secretary David Lammy said his ministerial colleague Alex Davies-Jones had met with Ms Hudgell on Tuesday and Labour was eager to back her proposal.… The Government has indicated it could introduce a child cruelty register, which would operate in the same way as the sex offenders register, and mean that anyone convicted of the crime would have to sign it....

'If they couldn't get on the pitch they'd drive stolen cars and motorbikes across it - we had to turn it around'

Moseley Rugby Club is located just over four miles away from Birmingham City Football Club’s St Andrew’s ground, a place that is quickly becoming established the world over thanks to the financial backing of iconic American Football star Tom Brady. And it’s a space where one former City hero is… Here, former professional footballer Dele Adebola tells Police Oracle how he and his community project is pushing to stop anti-social behaviour by using the sport to turn the younger generation's attention to new pathways and not crime....