England and Wales Case Commentaries

Woods‑Springer: Calibrating the Upper Bound of Extended Sentences in Multi‑Victim Child Sexual Offences and Reaffirming the Bar on Concurrent “Offender of Particular Concern” Sentences

Date: Sep 17, 2025

Woods‑Springer: Calibrating the Upper Bound of Extended Sentences in Multi‑Victim Child Sexual Offences and Reaffirming the Bar on Concurrent “Offender of Particular Concern” Sentences Citation: R v...

Apply the Totality Uplift Before the Guilty Plea Discount: Sentencing Sequence Clarified in R v Gaidamavicias & Anor [2025] EWCA Crim 1416

Date: Sep 17, 2025

Apply the Totality Uplift Before the Guilty Plea Discount: Sentencing Sequence Clarified in R v Gaidamavicias & Anor [2025] EWCA Crim 1416 Introduction In R v Gaidamavicias & Anor [2025] EWCA Crim...

Unduly Lenient Means Gross Error: Court of Appeal reaffirms narrow scope of section 36 references in Category 1A child sex cases (R v Kenyon [2025] EWCA Crim 1238)

Date: Sep 13, 2025

Unduly Lenient Means Gross Error: Court of Appeal reaffirms narrow scope of section 36 references in Category 1A child sex cases (R v Kenyon [2025] EWCA Crim 1238) Introduction This commentary...

Causation-Limited “Other Resultant Losses” under the 2001 Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme: Stephenson v FTT [2025] EWCA Civ 1160

Date: Sep 13, 2025

Causation-Limited “Other Resultant Losses” under the 2001 Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme Stephenson v First-Tier Tribunal (Social Entitlement Chamber) [2025] EWCA Civ 1160 Introduction This...

Sentencing Beyond Guideline Ranges for Borderline Category Domestic GBH with Intent: Commentary on R v Seal [2025] EWCA Crim 1527

Date: Sep 13, 2025

Sentencing Beyond Guideline Ranges for Borderline Category Domestic GBH with Intent: Commentary on R v Seal [2025] EWCA Crim 1527 1. Introduction This commentary examines the decision of the England...

R v DCB [2025] EWCA Crim 1253: Late Appeals, Counsel Criticism, and Sexual Bad Character Evidence

Date: Sep 12, 2025

R v DCB [2025] EWCA Crim 1253: Late Appeals, Counsel Criticism, and Propensity-Based Bad Character in Sexual Offence Trials Court: England and Wales Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) Citation:...

R v Lindley [2025] EWCA Crim 1213: No Newton Hearing Where Alleged Prior False Allegations Would Not Materially Affect Sentence; Delayed “Provocation” Is Not Significant Mitigation for Attempted Murder

Date: Sep 12, 2025

R v Lindley [2025] EWCA Crim 1213: No Newton Hearing Where Alleged Prior False Allegations Would Not Materially Affect Sentence; Delayed “Provocation” Is Not Significant Mitigation for Attempted...

Abuse of Trust Beyond Workplace Hierarchy: Sentencing Framework for Manager–Employee Sexual Assault in R v Mackenzie [2025] EWCA Crim 1526

Date: Sep 12, 2025

Abuse of Trust Beyond Workplace Hierarchy: Sentencing Framework for Manager–Employee Sexual Assault in R v Mackenzie [2025] EWCA Crim 1526 1. Introduction This commentary considers the decision of...

R v Moss [2025] EWCA Crim 1252: Adjusting Drug Guideline Categories and Suspending Short Custodial Sentences for Rehabilitated Young Offenders

Date: Sep 12, 2025

R v Moss [2025] EWCA Crim 1252: Adjusting Drug Guideline Categories and Suspending Short Custodial Sentences for Rehabilitated Young Offenders 1. Introduction This commentary examines the decision of...

Howells [2025] EWCA Crim 1237: Disapplying the “third‑strike” minimum for Class A supply does not justify a non‑custodial sentence—guidelines still require custody and suspended terms should ordinarily be activated (with totality achieved via uplift and concurrency)

Date: Sep 12, 2025

Howells [2025] EWCA Crim 1237: Disapplying the “third‑strike” minimum for Class A supply does not justify a non‑custodial sentence—guidelines still require custody and suspended terms should...

Alhayali: “Sufficiently Close” Is a Tribunal Fact‑Evaluation, Not a Pure Question of Law, in Embassy Employment Immunity; Doubts Cast on Aziz and on Using s.5 to Bypass s.4

Date: Sep 12, 2025

Alhayali: “Sufficiently Close” Is a Tribunal Fact‑Evaluation, Not a Pure Question of Law, in Embassy Employment Immunity; Doubts Cast on Aziz and on Using s.5 to Bypass s.4 Introduction In Royal...

Kurtaj v R [2025] EWCA Crim 1163: Authority and Funding for Appeals by the Unfit to Plead, and Fairness Limits on Using Prior Convictions as Propensity in s4A Trials

Date: Sep 12, 2025

Kurtaj v R [2025] EWCA Crim 1163: Authority and Funding for Appeals by the Unfit to Plead, and Fairness Limits on Using Prior Convictions as Propensity in s4A Trials Introduction This Court of Appeal...

R v Masih & Singh [2025] EWCA Crim 1236: Upward departures in money laundering sentences when underlying drugs harm is identifiable (Ogden-calibrated approach affirmed)

Date: Sep 11, 2025

Upward departures in money-laundering sentencing where underlying drugs harm is identifiable: Court of Appeal affirms Ogden-calibrated approach in R v Masih & Singh [2025] EWCA Crim 1236 Citation: R...

Unduly Lenient References: Appellate Deference to Charge Framing and the Suspendability of Category C “Production” Offences — R v Hargrave [2025] EWCA Crim 1233

Date: Sep 10, 2025

Unduly Lenient References: Appellate Deference to Charge Framing and the Suspendability of Category C “Production” Offences — R v Hargrave [2025] EWCA Crim 1233 Introduction This commentary analyses...

R v Smith [2025] EWCA Crim 1251 – Sentencing for Fraudulent Removal of Company Assets: Use of Fraud Guidelines, Risk-Based Harm, and the Limited Effect of Restitution and Personal Mitigation

Date: Sep 10, 2025

R v Smith [2025] EWCA Crim 1251 – Sentencing for Fraudulent Removal of Company Assets: Use of Fraud Guidelines, Risk-Based Harm, and the Limited Effect of Restitution and Personal Mitigation 1....

No Collateral Article 10 Defence to Breach of Court of Protection Injunctions: Immediate Custody for Repeated, Knowing Contempt — Macpherson v Sunderland City Council [2025] EWCA Civ 1159

Date: Sep 10, 2025

No Collateral Article 10 Defence to Breach of Court of Protection Injunctions: Immediate Custody for Repeated, Knowing Contempt — Macpherson v Sunderland City Council [2025] EWCA Civ 1159...

R v Mikolajczyk [2025] EWCA Crim 1232: A stringent “interests of justice” standard for 12‑year out‑of‑time appeals and the limits on re-trying jury verdicts

Date: Sep 10, 2025

R v Mikolajczyk [2025] EWCA Crim 1232: A stringent “interests of justice” standard for 12‑year out‑of‑time appeals and the limits on re-trying jury verdicts Introduction In R v Mikolajczyk [2025]...

R v Dervan [2025] EWCA Crim 1525: Evidence‑Based Harm Categorisation in Breaches of Non‑Molestation Orders

Date: Sep 10, 2025

R v Dervan [2025] EWCA Crim 1525: Evidence‑Based Harm Categorisation in Breaches of Non‑Molestation Orders 1. Introduction The decision in Dervan, R. v [2025] EWCA Crim 1525 is a sentencing appeal...

R v Bergstrom [2025] EWCA Crim 1301: Voluntary Desistance Requires a Significant Step‑Two Downward Adjustment Under s.10 Guideline, Balanced by Aggravation and Totality

Date: Sep 10, 2025

R v Bergstrom [2025] EWCA Crim 1301: Voluntary Desistance Requires a Significant Step‑Two Downward Adjustment Under s.10 Guideline, Balanced by Aggravation and Totality Introduction This commentary...

Patel v R: Post‑Brexit closure of EU free‑movement defences to cannabis importation and the confinement of Margiotta to proven low‑THC cases

Date: Sep 8, 2025

Patel v R: Post‑Brexit closure of EU free‑movement defences to cannabis importation and the confinement of Margiotta to proven low‑THC cases Court: Court of Appeal (Criminal Division), England and...