Robert Buckland Weblog

As I go on my summer break (to the Lake District this year), you might be interested to know that the past few weeks have shown me in a variety of guises. My least favourite one was belly dancer, when on a visit to the Swindon Pride event last Saturday I was “volunteered” by [...]

The issue of “undercharging” by the CPS has now moved from the stuff of robing room anecdote to national news. In the last few weeks, the BBC has covered this issue in some depth, speaking with Magistrates, lawyers and members of the public. It is becoming increasingly clear that there has been a [...]

The Government wishes to do away with the partial defence to murder of provocation; in other words, an act, acts or words that would cause any reasonable person and actually causes “a sudden and temporary loss of control rendering the accused so subject to passion as to make him or her, for the moment, not the [...]

Another August, another war.  This time its Russia v Georgia.  How Stalin must be revolving in his grave.  It is reported that he leads the field in an all-Russia poll as to their greatest citizen of all time.  I am sure that Stalin would have flattened Tiblisi (didn’t it used to be Tiflis?) by now.  [...]

The Criminal Evidence (Witness Anonymity) Act 2008 has received Royal Assent and came into force last month.  Happily, Section 14 is a “sunset clause”, ending the power to make Witness Anonymity Orders under this Act on 31st December 2009.  The Act has been a work of breakneck speed, because of the difficulties being caused to [...]

A busy July has prevented regular posting on the site, so my apologies. The Cameron Direct event was as sudden as it was time-consuming, but it would be remiss of me not to chart my progress through the month, filled as it was with events both local and national. A further Green Action [...]