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Concerns that rare sleep disorder is being used as an ‘escape route’ in sexual offence trials prompt calls for safeguards to protect victims and the publicExperts and lawyers involved in sexual offence cases in Britain have warned that suspected rapists are evading justice by claiming to have a rare sleepwalking disorder that causes them to engage in sexual activity while asleep.They said there had...

Louise Powell says she hopes new guidance means fewer pregnant women are jailed and it can be the legacy of her child BrookeA former prisoner who gave birth to a stillborn baby in a jail toilet has welcomed changes that campaigners hope will reduce the number of pregnant women locked up, as a “legacy” for the daughter she lost.The Sentencing Council is announcing significant...

Study by Appeal finds there was a desire to dilute influence of minority ethnic and working-class jurorsThe introduction of majority verdicts in criminal trials in England and Wales was partly motivated by a desire to dilute the influence of minority ethnic people and the labouring classes serving on juries, according to research.The study, by the miscarriage of justice charity Appeal, said that while the...

Companies could be stopped from taking such action, and firms involved in Horizon case may have to pay compensationRules to prevent companies taking private prosecutions in the way the Post Office went after innocent post office operators are being considered by the government.The move is part of a response to the Horizon IT scandal that could also lead to companies involved, including the tech...

Rise of 6% shows consequences of prisoner overcrowding and low staffing levels, say Liberal DemocratsThere were nearly 8,000 assaults on prison staff in the year to June 2023, almost one an hour on average, the Liberal Democrats have said, arguing that the statistic shows the consequences of prisoner overcrowding and low staffing levels.Official statistics showed there were 7,908 assaults over the 12 months in...