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Federal and state lawmakers have proposed several bills to make it easier for owners to fix items such as phones, cars, wheelchairs and more Aaron Lehman is the fifth generation to run his family farm in central Iowa. He uses six tractors and grows corn, soybeans, oats and hay on 500 acres. He enjoys it because “the time you put in, the money you put in, the things you learn can be put to…
Parents of Michaela Hall, whose partner killed her after he left prison in 2021, say Probation Service cannot cope with mass release More women will die if ministers include domestic abusers in the early prison release scheme, the parents of a woman murdered by her partner shortly after he was freed have warned. Michaela Hall, a 49-year-old charity worker, was killed in her home in Cornwall, by…
Constitutional council says curbs infringe freedom of expression and privacy as president vows to rework legislation France’s top court has blocked a ban on social media access for under-15s, ruling that it infringed freedom of expression and privacy. The decision is a blow to President Emmanuel Macron as momentum builds around the world for Australian-style restrictions on children’s use of…
PC Andrew Harper | Trump’s mistake | Hydration breaks | Climate advice for the government Why are more people not concerned to uphold the principle that ministers should be kept clear from involvement in individual cases ( What could Andy Burnham do to block early release of PC Andrew Harper’s killers?, 10 August )? Do we really want specific imprisonment decisions based on populist pressure? Mark…
Lawyer says restriction comes at ‘significant moment’ in appeal process for White House Farm murder conviction The legal team of Jeremy Bamber, who has served 41 years in prison for murdering five members of his family, has challenged Wakefield prison’s decision to ban him from talking about his case to the media and long-term supporters. His lawyers have issued a claim for judicial review against…
Most crime figures have drastically fallen, but people don’t believe it. It’s no wonder when politicians whip up emotions and attempt to bend the law An astounding change is happening to life in England and Wales that most people don’t know about, and when they are told they don’t believe it. Most crime, including violence, has fallen by a remarkable 90% over the past 30 years. But only 6% of…
Stephen Parkinson says court should have been told that sex offender was being investigated for even more serious offences The director of the Crown Prosecution Service has apologised and vowed to increase staff numbers after conceding that the court deciding whether to release Simon Levy on bail should have known the serial sex offender was being investigated for rape and murder. Levy, 40, was…
Murderer and serial sex offender sexually assaulted female staff member in HMP Brixton but was still released Mark Rowley, the Met commissioner, has sparked disquiet within the Prison Service after questioning why the murderer and serial sex offender Simon Levy was released from jail after sexually assaulting a female prison officer. The UK’s most senior police officer said he “did not understand”…
Undercover officers working for West Midlands ‘special projects team’ planted evidence to convict men, lawyers claim Lawyers representing four men convicted of terror offences are increasingly hopeful that revelations from the undercover policing inquiry could boost the chances of their case being reopened. Ten years ago, Khobaib Hussain, Naweed Ali, Mohibur Rahman and Tahir Aziz were arrested and…
Many of those affected in England and Wales think offences are not treated with the seriousness they deserve, says commissioner Bereaved families or seriously injured victims of road crime feel “forgotten by the system” with offences not treated with the seriousness they deserve, an official review has found. The victims’ commissioner for England and Wales found that many of the thousands…
Empathy is a strength in a prime minister but there is a risk of letting emotional urgency obscure the strategic view in policymaking There are no votes in leniency for criminals, which is why oppositions demand harsher penalties and ministers acquiesce. It is a policy ratchet that can keep turning as long as there are enough cells to accommodate those who are jailed. But spending on new prisons,…
Letter signed by every chief constable in England and Wales warns freeing pair could weaken trust in justice system Andy Burnham is facing an unprecedented mass call from police chiefs to block the early release of PC Andrew Harper’s killers, as unions warned his emergency plan to create more space in jails risked causing confusion or leading to prisoners being freed by mistake. A letter signed by…
Prime minister says he has asked justice secretary to push through measures to increase the number of prison places Andy Burnham has said he is increasingly confident he can adapt the early release scheme for prisoners to exclude the killers of PC Andrew Harper and other serious offenders, saying he understood and shared the public’s concern about their potential release. Writing on Facebook , the…
After widespread outcry, PM is confident he can adapt scheme to exclude Harper’s killers but his options are limited Andy Burnham is said to be exploring “every option” to block the early release from prison of the killers of PC Andrew Harper under plans to alleviate the prison overcrowding crisis, amid public concern that they could be back on the streets next year. As he faces what many are…
Verdict relates to atrocities committed during the country’s 14-year civil war in which about 500,000 people died A Syrian court has sentenced the country’s former president Bashar al-Assad and his brother Maher to death in absentia for crimes against humanity and war crimes during the 14-year civil war, in which about half a million people died. The two men fled to Moscow after being ousted by a…
Exclusive: Court service says anyone trying to enter buildings with glasses will have them confiscated and returned when they leave Courts in England and Wales have joined a number of restaurants, theatres and pubs in banning Meta glasses, amid a mounting backlash against what has been described as “spyware”. Last month courts in New York announced a ban on the controversial glasses, which can…
A spokesperson for the human rights group likened the proposal to ‘financial brutality with British taxpayers’ money’ Farage and Yusuf are now taking questions. Q: [From Jack Fenwick from the BBC] Are there other countries where you might send foreign offenders? And how much would this cost? We have to admit that there might not be too many colour TVs. It’s not going to be a summer camp. It’s not…
Manslaughter exemption would mean more releases would be needed within 18 months, Prison Service officials say What could Andy Burnham do to block early release of PC Andrew Harper’s killers? Andy Burnham has been warned that changing the terms of the prisoners’ early release scheme so PC Andrew Harper’s killers are kept behind bars would force another spate of early releases before the next…
Political leaders have kicked the can of public protection tariff reform down the road for years – causing hopeless inmates to take their own lives In January 2015, Tommy Nicol told his family that he was suffering “psychological torture of a person who is doing 99 years”. Nicol had been given an imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentence six years earlier for stealing a car from a garage…
Gabar Choli tells of how, for months, he was shackled, pinned and forcibly fed – and the physical and emotional scars the ordeal has left In June 2025, a sluggish and thin Gabar Choli, with sunken temples and bones visible under his skin, braced himself for the immigration detention center guards to charge into his cell once again. Choli was in a solitary confinement medical cell inside the Port…
