England & Wales

After watching today Police, camera, Action I did some research on death by dangerous driving. In the case they showed in the show, the lady got 21 months (http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/feb/02/ukcrime) and they said that the courts had taken a tougher stance after this incident. But I found an incident that occured almost a year earlier where the driver was sentanced to four years (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1580408/Four-years-for-driver-who-killed-while-texting.html). Im quite surprised by the difference in sentances!

Hello, Earlier today a police cordon was created and my house was located within this cordon. I exited my property, remaining on my front garden querying with the police officer what was going on and if I should be alarmed? I was presented with an office who snapped back and said along the lines of "I'm not telling you so either get back in your house, or get outside the cordon"... I asked again, "Fine, but is there anything I should be concerned about?" to which he looked at me with a smirk as if I am being stupid and said "If there was I'd tell you now either get back in your house or get outside the cordon.". I have searched the forums for powers of police cordons, a…

Just to fill you in on the situation. I have received one of those "Unfortunately we can't deliver your item because there is a fee to pay" cards from the Royal Mail. The Postal Services Act 2000, section 104 states; So Royal Mail, by sending out cards saying they won't deliver until payment, are in effect breaking the law. I went down to my local sorting office to pick up a parcel, and pointed this out to them. The question is this; if I demanded my parcel under the above act, and they refused to give it to me without the payment and i decided to call the police and report a crime. What response would i expect to receive from an attending police officer?

Hello, I'm just wondering whats the legal perspective on a 15 y o carrying a folding pocket knife while fishing wondering if there are restrictions on age and would fishing be classified as a justifable purpose for carrying it. Also I'm in NI Thanks AL

Apologies if this is in the wrong section, I'd be grateful if anyone could answer this question. Say somebody is on out on bail pending a police investigation into something which is likely to result in a custodial sentance, and that person has since been found to have commited an unrelated offence prior to their original arrest which is probably only worthy of a police caution. My question is, would the police issue the caution for the minor offence whilst they continue their investigations into the other offence, or would they punish both cases together? thanks!

I have a query.... If you stop a vehicle and for example it's a 17 year old lad driving a car thats got big fancy alloy wheels, blacked out windows, LED lights, and a big bore exhaust etc. (you know the sort I mean) it's obviously his car and you see him driving it all the time but when you run it through it comes back registered to his mother and he's just a named driver on the vehicle. Now I believe the term is called "Fronting" your insurance which I know is an offence but i'm just wondering how's best to deal with them?

Can someone please give me opinions around the law on this question. I am a driver trainer. My client wants to drive my car and has 01 on licence but says he has had laser surgery to correct it. They read the number plate perfectly which I record in writing. What glasses (according to the 01 code) do they wear? None! Do I let them drive my car? Yes, because they have proved that they comply with the law. Have I broken the law? Do they need official authority to get the 01 removed? I don't believe so. Your opinions please

Can anyone point me to any decent case law regarding obstructing a police officer? Something that's happened several times in the past month is I've had various third parties walk up to me when I'm dealing with something and start shouting the odds. Not necessarily being abusive but hindering me going about dealing with whatever by creating a noise, getting up too close and so on. While they are not physically getting in between me and what I'm doing they, naturally, make life awkard. (especially when, in one example, the suspect didn't want to be handing over his pars with some randomer looking over our shoulders). All of these members of the awkard squad have initial…

It's quite a common one in these parts....is it a specific offence or is it just against the conditions of carriage and, therefore, a civil matter?

Hi I wondered if someone could give a bit more advice on the following circumstances please? My partner was stopped by police on Friday night. He was breathalysed at the road and the reading was 42. He was then arrested and taken to the station where he was tested again and blew 41 then 39. He has been given a date to appear in court. Can someone tell me what is likely to happen at court? He does reply on driving for work and is the sole provider for our family. He already had 4 points on his licence. Also to add to the confusion when the police checked his licence the dvla said it had been revolked in july last year. He has never been notified of this. The off…

I have tried to use the search facility, but it says the search string is too short. Say you're driving along an A road, and there's a marked BTP vehicle behind you, and you commit a traffic offence - be it mobile phone, speeding, go through red light etc. Can the BTP officer stop you, or would they just (in law) be an expert witness, and have to call up the local force to deal with any offences and provide witness statement?

The other day I went to a "suspects on" call where we believed a man had broken into a house. The house in question was a terraced house and was the penultimate house in the terrace. We could not gain access from the front and so I ran around to the end of the terrace and tried to get in from the neighbour's premises. There was no reply at the neighbour's and, as such, I climbed over their garden fence, went through their garden and went over the next fence (in a scene just like Hot Fuzz I might add) into the garden of the property where we thought the suspect was. Now, I know this refers to gardens rather then buildings, but s.17 powers allow us to enter premises to, a…

Evening all, heres the situation, Im living in rented accomodation at the moment with 4 other tenants, one tenant is always having parties wiht his music on so loud that neighbours are complaining and myself and the other tenants are not getting any sleep hint the reason im up at this time, alwell as this he is doing class A + B drugs aswell as suplying to his friends. The landlord has reported it to the police and nothing has happend, I was attested last week and I dont really want to be nicking the guy for the offence as I will have to live with him as the landlord says he cant throw him out because of this, what would you suggest? Better if i go to the station and say …

The public order act states: "(1) A person is guilty of an offence if he: (a) uses threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour, or disorderly behaviour, or(b) displays any writing, sign or other visible representation which is threatening, abusive or insulting, within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress thereby." So, if i were to take offence to say a swastica displayed on TV or constant swearing, would there be a case. Or would they take the route that i would be able to turn the tv off and thus prevent the offence from taking place. Genuinly curious.