S10E05 - Getting Away With It

Have a listen here.

We've got everything from worship by cannabis to esoteric legal points here.

First - yes we're serious we have cannabis sacrifice -  a couple found not guilty on the basis that their cultivation crop was not for supply but for burning to honour Shiva.
2 takes on the same story:  Russian Times and Daily Mail

Then Ben explains for any Home Office flunkies listening, how the law works and relates to everybody, foreign or not.


Kirstin finds two cases for legal complexities junkies - read them yourselves they might be easier to follow!

An interesting defence that worked:
http://rt.com/news/cannabis-shiva-sacrifice-burn-540/
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2499598/Cannabis-growers-cleared-dealing-saying-Hindu-god-Shiva.html

Foreign sex-offender gets damages for being held too long:
The story causing people to go nuts: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24917755
The actual decision of the court:
http://www.bailii.org/cgi-bin/markup.cgi?doc=/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2013/1378.html&query=saleh&method=boolean


The importance of time on “qualifying tag”:
Two things to remember:
1. The provisions under CJA 2003 in relation to time spent on remand are mandatory - even if you have a clever argument.
2.  Time spent on tag is not automatically taken into consideration and the timetable to sort it out will be adhered to from now on.  Counsel beware.
http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Crim/2013/1994.html

R v Stocker
http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Crim/2013/1993.html


Report by NAO into MoJ reliance upon G4S and similar (or “Bears defecate in wooded areas”):
http://www.lawgazette.co.uk/practice/ministry-of-justice-relationship-with-outsourcers-under-scrutiny/5038715.article
Original report and executive summary here: http://www.nao.org.uk/report/memorandum-role-major-contractors-delivery-public-services/

So it begins. .. fraud vhcc likely to be derailed
http://www.theguardian.com/law/2013/nov/14/fraud-trial-threatened-barristers-reduced-rate 


The Judicial Office is seeking views on the following areas:
- How the CJC/FJC functions should be delivered  Civil justice council and family JC
- Whether the bodies should be abolished
- If the functions could be moved to the Ministry of Justice
- Whether they should be delivered by the voluntary or private sector or by a new executive agency
- Should they remain arm’s length bodies
The deadline for responses is 5pm on 25 November. The email addresses are: cjcreview@judiciary.gsi.gov.uk and: fjcreview@judiciary.gsi.gov.uk.

Grayling purposes an end to multiple cautions but the clue is in the word "simple" perhaps:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/10447936/Ban-on-police-cautions-for-repeat-offenders.html