Legislation / Legal
HO: New measures to protect vulnerable women and tackle the demand for prostitution by clamping down on sex buyers and kerb crawlers have been outlined, following the Government's Tackling Demand Review, by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.
A new offence will mean that sex buyers will be liable for prosecution even if they didn't know that the prostitute was being controlled by a pimp or had been trafficked. Sex buyers who commit the new offence will get a criminal record and up to a £1,000 fine. The Government is also giving police new powers to close premises associated with prostitution and is cracking down on kerb-crawlers by making sure that police can act on their first offence.
In response to the review, the Government has committed to running national marketing campaigns to raise the public's awareness of the kerb crawling offence and the realities of trafficking. This will be complimented by new enforcement guidance for the police to help bring people to justice.
Press release ~ Tackling Demand Review ~ What the Home Office is doing about prostitution ~ Co-ordinated Prostitution Strategy ~ Eaves Poppy Project ~ UK Human Trafficking Centre ~ Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit ~ Operation Pentameter 2 ~ Office for Criminal Justice Reform ~ Updated UK Human Trafficking Action Plan ~ Don’t close your eyes ~ Council of Europe Convention on Human Trafficking
BMPI: The Baha Mousa Inquiry has published its provisional Issues List, which is intended as a guide to the issues on which the Inquiry's investigations will focus. The list is a provisional one and the Inquiry's investigations may uncover the need to address further issues, which are within its terms of reference but not contained in this list. Accordingly, the issues in this list may be subject to revision during the course of the Inquiry.
The Chairman has also announced that the Inquiry will hold its first Directions Hearing on Wednesday 3 December 2008. The hearing will be a procedural one, at which the Chairman will give directions to lawyers representing the Inquiry's core participants about the provision of evidence. The Chairman has also indicated that a second Directions Hearing will be held on Wednesday 21 January 2009, continuing on Thursday 22 January if necessary.
MoJ: Welcoming the Law Commission's recommendations for change to existing laws on bribery, government anti-corruption champion and Justice Secretary Jack Straw said: "Bribery is a cancer which destroys the integrity, accountability and honesty that underpins ethical standards both in public life and in the business community……..
Our current law is old, complex and fragmented, as the OECD also recently pointed out, and the Government is committed to improving it…………… The Government will carefully consider the Commission's recommendations and build on them to bring forward a draft bill for pre-legislative scrutiny in the next session”.
Press release ~ Law Commission's press notice, report & summary version ~ ECGD - Anti-Bribery and Corruption ~ BERR leaflet ~ Anti-Corruption Forum ~ Transparency International ~ Online broadcast on the OFT investigation into the construction industry ~ CIOB’s research into corruption within the UK’s construction industry (scroll down) ~ Out-Law.com
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