Project status: Complete
Download Murder report (1): Partial Defences to Murder Download Murder, Manslaughter and Infanticide The problem The law governing homicide in England and Wales has some rules which have remained unaltered since the seventeenth century. This is even though it has long been acknowledged that they are in dire need of reform. In our 2004 report, … Read more >
Project status: Complete
Download the report Download the report summary The problem The primary purpose of professional regulation is to ensure public safety. In the UK there are nine regulatory bodies responsible for regulating 32 – consisting of approximately 1.44 million professionals. For healthcare professionals. regulation is one element of a much broader system of ensuring patient and … Read more >
Project status: Complete
The project recommends that the trust industry adopt a non-statutory rule of practice and that this should be enforced by the regulatory and professional bodies who govern and influence trustees and the drafters of trusts. The Law Society and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales have both introduced regulation for their members. … Read more >
Project status: Complete
Download the report Download the summary The problem The Electronic Communications Code was created in 1984 and replaced in the Digital Economy Act 2017. The Code sets out the regime that governs the rights of designated electronic communications operators to maintain infrastructure on public and private land. In modern times, it applies to the infrastructure … Read more >
Project status: Complete
A review of the law of England and Wales as it relates to evidence of previous misconduct in criminal proceedings and the related trial process.
Project status: Complete
The High Court has supervisory power over the Crown Court, but it is limited. It does not include “matters relating to trial on indictment”. The reason for this limitation is that it is in the interests of justice for trials to proceed without being delayed by appeals and applications to the High Court. The problem lies … Read more >
Project status: Complete
This project made recommendations for reforms designed to resolve a number of difficulties and inconsistencies thrown up by the Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989 and the Companies Act 1989.
Project status: Complete
Download the report Download the consultation The problem In a criminal trial, a jury or magistrates’ court is required to determine disputed factual issues. Experts in a relevant field are often called as witnesses to help the fact-finding body understand and interpret evidence with which that body is unfamiliar. The current judicial approach to the … Read more >
Project status: Complete
In this project, we considered whether changes were needed in the law relating to inquiries undertaken by local authorities. In February 2000 Sir Ronald Waterhouse published the results of the inquiry he chaired into the abuse of children in council homes in North Wales. He was concerned there might be circumstances where local authorities might feel … Read more >
Project status: Complete
A preliminary investigation to clarify the issues relating to defamation on the internet. We were asked to provide preliminary advice to Government on whether the existing law causes difficulties for online publishers, internet service providers, their customers or others, with a view to informing possible further work.