Project status: Complete
The report that concludes this project recommends reforms designed to rationalise one of the procedural mechanisms used to control the prosecution process – the requirement in respect of certain offences that, as a condition precedent to the institution of criminal proceedings, the consent of either a Law Officer or the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) … Read more >
Project status: Complete
This project reviewed the law governing the criminal liability of those who agree, or attempt, to commit offences. The project We published our report “Conspiracy and Attempts”, including a draft Bill, on 10 December 2009. The report follows our consultation paper, which we published on 10 October 2007. In our report we make recommendations on statutory conspiracy to: … Read more >
Project status: Complete
This project examines the impact of the Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA) on the law governing decisions taken by the police and the courts to grant or refuse bail in criminal proceedings, between the time when a person is charged or appears in court, and the time of the verdict or other termination of the case … Read more >
Project status: Complete
We published a report on Offences against Religion and Public Worship (LC145) in 1985. The principal recommendation of this report made its way on to the statute book after 23 years. The repeal of blasphemy and blasphemous libel, as recommended, was effected by section 79 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008, which came into … Read more >
Project status: Complete
This project considered the full range of structural options for a scheme of bribery offences. It took into account the issues and views that have emerged since the introduction of the draft Government’s draft Corruption Bill in 2003. The review compared the law of England and Wales with the law operating in other jurisdictions and took into account … Read more >
Project status: Complete
This project published recommended changes in the law governing criminal responsibility for the non-accidental death or serious injury of children. The report includes a draft Bill.
Project status: Pre-project
In the 10th Programme, the Commission embarked on a programme of simplification of the criminal law, criminal evidence and procedure. Simplification involves: giving the law a clearer structure; using more modern terminology; making the law in a given area more consistent with other closely allied areas of law; making the law readily comprehensible to non lawyers … Read more >
Project status: Complete
The aim of this project was to reform the law governing the criminal liability of those who encourage or assist others to commit offences. Our first report, Inchoate Liability for Assisting and Encouraging Crime, was published on 11 July 2006. The recommendations were reflected in Part 2 of the Serious Crime Act 2007. Our second, and final, … Read more >
Project status: Complete
We published a discussion paper on 23 July 2013 with our provisional proposals for reform of the defences of insanity and automatism, based on lack of capacity. Work in this area is paused for the moment. When should a person not be criminally liable because of their mental condition at the time they committed an … Read more >