Paul Quinn, a man who evaded justice for nearly two decades, has been jailed for 21 years for a savage 2003 rape for which Andrew Malkinson was wrongly imprisoned www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

Palantir has secured a £9 million government contract to provide software for managing firearms licensing across the UK. It will also handle Home Office licensing for explosives, explosive precursors, and poisons. www.theregister.com/databases/20...

What is the difference between Assault on an Emergency Worker & Assault on a Police Officer? Katie McFadden & Senior Paralegal, Anna Williams explore the key distinctions between these offences, including sentencing, court procedures, & why they matter for those facing allegations. #LegalAdvice

The CCRC has referred its fifteenth case of possible historical wrongful conviction to the Court of Appeal related to investigations conducted by convicted police officer Derek Ridgewell www.thejusticegap.com/fifteenth-ri...

Can you be convicted for a crime you didn’t physically commit? Joint Enterprise prosecutions continue to grow despite reforms introduced after a landmark Supreme Court decision. Solicitor, Amy Coulter explores secondary liability, rising concerns over fairness, and the latest calls for reform.

Deaths within two weeks of prison release hit record high in England and Wales Experts say #homelessness is primary driver of crisis that led to 77 ‘avoidable’ deaths in 2025 www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

A man who was seriously injured when he was wrongfully Tasered by police while celebrating his birthday has been given £30,000 in damages. The Taser use was against official policing guidance to use the devices only "as a proportionate response to an identified threat www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

The number of people who die within two weeks of being released from prison in England and Wales has reached a record high, a Guardian investigation has found www.theguardian.com/society/2026... Experts said a primary driver of the crisis was a rise in prisoners being released into homelessness

May 2026 newsletter: Independent of scrutiny 🗞️ New criminal justice legislation introduced giving officers ever-greater discretion in the hope that it'll raise public confidence in policing, somehow stopwatchuk.substack.com/p/may-2026-i...

The UK has won this case at the Permanent Court of Arbitration, meaning the government does not have to pay up to £100m claimed by Rwanda The court found the UK had not breached its agreement with Rwanda and that its obligations had ended with a "November 2024 exchange of diplomatic notes"

Hong Qi, a Chinese dissident who orchestrated an anti-government protest in China after fleeing to the UK, has claimed that a “pro-regime” interpreter used by Devon and Cornwall police berated him when he sought help www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

Manchester cafe owner says police tried to recruit him to spy on Palestine Action www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

Shabana Mahmood’s plan to house more asylum seekers in former army barracks is facing a major hurdle after the high court ruled that a policy change forcing torture victims to share rooms was unlawful www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

This week’s #Spotlight shines on Laura O’Brien, Partner and Head of our Protest Team. Known for her strategic approach, meticulous preparation and unwavering commitment to supporting vulnerable clients, Laura is a trusted advocate for clients facing complex and challenging proceedings.

We know children’s lungs don’t develop as well when they grow up surrounded by air pollution: that’s why I had to act. London’s children are breathing cleaner air thanks to our bold policies that have brought down NO2 pollution to legal levels.

1, Changes to IPP Licence Terminations start 1st June 2026 On Monday, vital changes to IPP licence lengths come into effect, creating clear 2 year review points & pathways to termination. Please see the attached document, for more information on the new process.

🚨A few more tickets have now been made available & we will be online also!

A mother has made a complaint against Kent Police after her 12-year-old son told her he had been handcuffed by police after “innocently playing with an abandoned stop sign” www.thecommunityreporter.co.uk/p/boy-12-han...

Less than 2 weeks until we hit the streets for the London Legal Walk! We'll be joining 15,000+ walkers to raise vital funds for over 100 free legal advice charities. Every donation makes a real difference in ensuring access to justice for vulnerable individuals.

Report by HM Inspectorate of Prisons finds children are witnessing extreme violence including stabbings while being unnecessarily held in custody awaiting trial or sentencing. The findings have been released amid government plans for an overhaul of youth justice www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

What does partial Metropolitan Police data say about protest restrictions in London? Just how difficult it is to find out how police powers are used in the capital. The Met provided the dates of only 16 of the 114 marches or rallies it imposed conditions on in 2024-2025 netpol.org/2026/05/26/w...

This #EidAlAdha, we extend our warmest wishes to all those celebrating within our community. Known as The Festival of Sacrifice, this important occasion serves as a reminder of the enduring values of kindness, gratitude and shared responsibility. #EidMubarak to you and your loved ones.

Delighted to have been part of this study, an in-depth global study analysing the chilling effects of digital surveillance. Looking at impacts on assembly and association rights, and their exercise in practice.

Calls for urgent action to stop overcrowded prisons from being flooded with lethal substances, as figures show 48 people died after taking drugs in jails in England and Wales in the year ending March 2025, up 2,300 per cent since the year ending March 2010 www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crim...

Yves Sakila, a 35-year-old Congolese-born man, died after he was pinned face-down by security guards until his body became motionless outside a department store in Dublin. His death is being called Ireland's 'George Floyd moment' www.cbc.ca/radio/asitha...

New research ‘points to an increase in anti-protest legislation in England and Wales, police powers and civil law injunctions brought by corporations and public bodies as well as judges removing legal defences and “exceptionally long” sentences’ www.theguardian.com/law/2026/may...

London mayor Sadiq Khan has blocked a £50m Met police deal with Palantir citing a “clear and serious breach” of procurement rules and noting a risk of becoming locked into Palantir’s technology www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

The IOPC is investigating Avon and Somerset Police officers for their actions towards Nicholas Stone, who suffered a cardiac arrest on 10 January after attending a counter-protest to anti-immigration group Bristol Patriots www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Today, we have published a new advice and information page that explores the different laws governing free speech in England and Wales, including what we can post on social media, and what we say and hold up signs about at protests. https://www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk/freespeechadvice

Five serving and former Warwickshire Police officers face disciplinary action following a reinvestigation into the case of 32-year-old Darren Cumberbatch, who died after officers Tasered him www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

We are proud to see Darrell Ennis-Gayle shortlisted in the “Criminal Legal Aid” category at the 2026 Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Awards. His expertise, advocacy & commitment to access to justice make this recognition thoroughly deserved. Congratulations to Darrell on this fantastic achievement!

Congratulations to Elizabeth Andrewartha, Solicitor from our Criminal Defence team, on being shortlisted for the 2026 Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Awards in the “Legal Aid Newcomer” category. We are delighted to see her dedication and advocacy recognised among this year’s finalists.

Huge thanks to #IndiraVarma for speaking out about the undercover policing scandal. The public inquiry resumes June 15th — senior officers will face questioning about decades of abuse and exploitation. Watch the BAFTA-nominated doc on ITVX, follow the UCPI on YouTube, and contact your MP. #SpyCops

UN Special Rapporteur on rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association calls on UK to uphold its international human rights obligations following entry into force of the UK Crime and Policing Act and calls for blanket ban on pro-Palestinian demonstrations www.ohchr.org/en/press-rel...

UN Special Rapporteur Gina Romero last week said of Labour's new Crime and Policing Act: “criminalisation of face coverings is especially problematic amidst intensified surveillance, as anonymity is often essential to protect privacy and prevent chilling effects” www.ohchr.org/en/press-rel...

Yvette Cooper wrote a newspaper column about Palestine Action despite prosecutors warning it could prejudice criminal proceedings against six activists from the group relating to a 2024 break-in at an Israeli arms manufacturer’s factory www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

'The Chișinău declaration... is not legally binding but it does put the courts under significant pressure to apply the law more restrictively in asylum and immigration cases.' Why rights groups fear new ECHR declaration could weaken migrant protections www.theguardian.com/law/2026/may...

#BeyondAppeal: Why is homelessness still being criminalised? Join us on 28 May @ 6 pm #Islington Town Hall 🎟️Tickets: Free via Eventbrite (Pre-reg. essential) www.streetskitchen.org/2026/05/beyo... With @gardencourtlaw.bsky.social, @libertyhq.bsky.social & @ourmoh.bsky.social

The prison service faces severe sanction by the health and safety regulator after it exposed staff and inmates at HMP Dartmoor to dangerous levels of deadly radon gas news.sky.com/story/prison...

Keir Starmer’s government has been accused of trying to water down legal protections for torture victims as ministers from the 46 Council of Europe countries are expected to agree a “political declaration” weakening protections against deportation www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

The Met Police firearms office who shot and killed 24-year-old Chris Kaba in 2022, is expected to know by the end of July if he will face gross misconduct proceedings www.voice-online.co.uk/news/uk-news...

Less than 4 weeks to go until this year’s #LondonLegalWalk supporting frontline free legal services. We’ll be amongst the tens of thousands of legal professionals taking on the 10km challenge raising funds for specialist free legal advice charities. Every donation helps bridge the gap.

The Court of Appeal has allowed Rajiv Menon KC’s appeal against his referral to the High Court for contempt of court. Adrian Waterman KC and Anthony Hudson KC acted for Rajiv Menon KC, instructed by Hickman & Rose. Read more: https://ow.ly/vOLN50YYSkr

Supporting families through complex inquests is a core part of our work. Charlotte Sykes represented the family of a Bombardier during the recent inquest into her death, examining the circumstances surrounding her death and the pressures impacting her wellbeing and military career.

Appeal judges have dismissed contempt proceedings against human rights barrister Rajiv Menon KC over his closing speech in a Palestine Action trial - believed to be the first contempt case brought against a barrister over a jury speech in English legal history www.thejusticegap.com/court-of-app...

A serving Metropolitan Police Officer and four former officers are being investigated for potential misconduct over the handling of reports of sexual abuse made against Mohamed Al Fayed www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

MI5's false and misleading evidence given in the BBC/Beth case, Manchester Arena bombing, and Operation Kenova investigation epitomises why Hillsborough Law's Duty of Candour must apply to the intelligence services. Read Pete Weatherby KC's op-ed below. gcnchambers.co.uk/a-duty-of-ca...

This was incredibly special. We've gone from no-one believing us about #spycops to a celebration at the #baftas where our doc was nominated for Best Factual Series. Our campaign for justice continues but this was definitely a night to celebrate the wins! More photos to follow - be warned...

Prisoners in England are 41 to 67 times more likely to experience avoidable harm linked to poor healthcare than the general public, according to new research based on reviewing medical records from 18 prisons in England socialcare.today/2026/05/08/p...

Developers working for Google have significantly misstated how much carbon two huge proposed AI datacentres in Thurrock and North Weald will contribute to the UK’s total emissions in planning documents reviewed by the Guardian www.theguardian.com/technology/2...