Law and the Justice System

A globe-trotting tax consultant who stole £6.9m from construction workers’ pay packets has been ordered to repay £1.7m or face a further four years in jail.

https://www.constructionenquirer.com/2021/06/16/payroll-tax-cheat-ordered-to-repay-1-7m/

Important court and tribunal judgments will be available via The National Archives for the first time, increasing transparency and securing free access for all.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/boost-for-open-justice-as-court-judgments-get-new-home

People cheated by fraudsters are being let down by police despite the “staggering” levels of the crime and its damaging impact on lives, the Victims’ Commissioner warned today.

https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/fraud-victims-let-down-police-104947801.html

This quarter, civil justice actions remain below pre-Covid-19 levels. However, the marked recovery seen last quarter has continued for some actions following the impact of measures undertaken by the courts.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/civil-justice-statistics-quarterly-january-to-march-2021/civil-justice-statistics-quarterly-january-to-march-2021

On Tuesday 2 June, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) updated its guidance on prosecuting standalone ‘failure to disclose’ cases under section 330 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA).

https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/topics/anti-money-laundering/cps-issues-new-guidance-on-prosecuting-standalone-failure-to-disclose-offences

The Civil Liability Act reforms went live yesterday with the government promising an end to “greedy opportunism” while claimant representatives deemed it a “sad day for justice”.

https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/an-end-to-greedy-opportunism-whiplash-reforms-finally-go-live

The charity dedicated to supporting litigants in person has expressed serious concerns about the new Official Injury Claim (OIC) portal and called for more funding for legal support organisations.

https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/charity-outlines-worries-about-lips-navigating-new-claims-portal

The Scheduling and Listing Project will deliver a flexible system of digital tools and supporting processes to better support the judicial functions of scheduling and listing.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hmcts-services-scheduling-and-listing-project

MAGISTRATES’ CRIMINAL COURTS : 5‐POINT PLAN RECOVERY AMBITIONS FOR ADULT & YOUTH COURTS

https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/recovery-ambition-5-point-plan-Pres-Mode-ppsx-1.pdf

On 5 February 2021, the Supreme Court handed down its judgment in the case of R (on the application of KBR, Inc) (Appellant) v Director of the Serious Fraud Office (Respondent) [2021] UKSC 2 (“KBR v SFO”). The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that section 2(3) of the Criminal Justice Act 1987 (“CJA 1987”) does not give the Serious Fraud Office (“SFO”) the power to compel a foreign company to produce documents held outside the UK.

https://www.preiskel.com/limits-on-serious-fraud-offices-international-document-compulsion-powers-confirmed-by-supreme-court/