Here’s a figure that deserves some attention: in the first year in which Scotland had a single police force, 8,000 stop searches were carried out by armed response officers, an average of 29 searches by…
Damien Short, School of Advanced Study, University of London et Jessica Elliot, School of Advanced Study, University of London
Although only a small area of land has been offered to companies exploring the potential for fracking in the UK so far, much more is likely to come. But opposition to fracking is growing – and growing…
The news that Harry Roberts is to be released from prison – potentially within days – has been greeted with outrage among the police. But after 48 years in prison, it’s time the knee-jerk reactions stopped…
With the Metropolitan Police agreeing to reveal whether undercover officers had relationships with women while using assumed identities, and a new Operation Herne report exposing more controversial police…
The legal concept of joint enterprise caused outrage in South Africa in 2012, when 270 miners were charged with the murder of 34 colleagues in a police shooting at Marikana. Their crime? Being in the crowd…
Gerry Conlon, wrongly jailed for a 1975 IRA bombing in which he had no part, died on June 21 at the age of 60. The case of the Guildford Four remains one the most famous miscarriage of justice in Britain…
It has recently been announced that the Mayor of London’s Office on Policing and Crime (MOPAC) has authorised the Metropolitan Police to purchase three water cannon. This decision was made in advance of…
Over the past ten years, 519 people have died after contact with the police, either in custody (the great majority) or during a pursuit or another road traffic incident. Some 23 people have been shot by…
The Police Federation of England and Wales will be concerned about the imminent findings of the independent review chaired by Sir David Normington, established in the wake of the plebgate affair. The chairman…
The Mark Duggan inquest jury has concluded, by an 8-2 majority, that the police shooting which sparked riots across England in 2011 was lawful. But their answers to the particular questions, posed by the…
The “plebgate” saga has once again raised questions about police integrity and dented public trust and confidence in policing more generally. Building such trust was, of course, one of the coalition government’s…
The National Crime Agency (NCA) was launched this morning with the aim of being fully operational by December 2013. It is the third agency so far to be called “Britain’s FBI” following the National Criminal…
October 7 this year will see the launch of the National Crime Agency (NCA). According to a white paper presented to parliament by Theresa May, the NCA will be responsible for co-ordinating the fight against…