The drafting of criminal legislation: Need it be so impenetrable?

Cambridge Law Journal

Volumn 67, Issue 3, 2008, Pages 585-605

  Spencer, J R ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 85012480852     PISSN: 00081973     EISSN: 14692139     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1017/S0008197308000688     Document Type: Article

References (37)

1. R.v. HMP Drake Hall and Minister of State for Justice [2008] EWHC 207 (Admin) (31 January 2008).
2. The decision is reported as R.v. Slocombe [2005] EWCA Crim 2297
3. [2006] 1 W.L.R. 329.
4. “Current Sentencing Issues”, Lincoln's Inn, London, 29 October 2007; available online at http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/docs/speeches/current_sentencing_issues_291007.pdf
5. [1949] A.C. 398, 410
6. quoted by C.K.Allen, Law in the Making,7th ed. (Oxford 1964), p. 487.
7. Andrew Keogh, “The Justice Merry-go-round” (2007) 157 New Law Journal 1037, said that the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill 2007 was the 68th piece of criminal justice legislation since 1997.
8. The authoritarian nature of this legislation is discussed in [2004] Criminal Law Review 347–360.
9. R.v. Hamilton [2007] EWCA Crim 2026
10. [2008] 1 W.L.R. 107
11. the House of Lords refused leave to appeal: [2008] 1 W.L.R. 425.
12. R.v. G [2008] EWCA Crim 50
13. [2008] 1 W.L.R. 1379. The result of these proceedings is to confirm that these provisions do indeed impose strict liability in respect of the child's age.
14. Office of the King's Prosecutor, Brussels v. Cando Armas [2006] 2 A.C. 1
15. Dabas v. High Court of Justice in Madrid, Spain [2007] UKHL 6
16. [2007] 2 A.C. 31
17. R (Hilali) v. Governor of Whitemoor Prison [2008] UKHL 3
18. [2008] 2 W.L.R. 299
19. Pilecki v. Circuit Court of Legnica, Poland [2008] UKHL 7
20. [2008] 1 W.L.R. 325
21. Caldarelli v. Court of Naples [2008] UKHL 51.
22. Pilecki v. Circuit Court of Legnica, Poland [2008] UKHL 7
23. [2008] 1 W.L.R. 325, at [22].
24. Review of the Criminal Courts (2001), chapter 11, 1126.
25. R.v. R [2008] EWCA Crim 678
26. [2008] 2 Cr. App. R. 10 (112)
27. noted [2008] Archbold News, issue 6, 7–9.
28. [1970] AC 132.
29. One of the notions underlying the reform was that no person under 13 is ever mature enough to give valid consent to any form of sex: see the White Paper Protecting the Public (Cm. 5668, 2002), 136.
30. Though this was not entirely the Law Commission's fault, because the Government of the day forced them to rush the job. For the unhappy story, see Derek Hodgson, “Law Com. No. 76 - A Case Study in Criminal Law Reform”, in P. Glazebrook, ed., Reshaping the Criminal Law (London, 1978), p.240.
31. On this, see [2007] Criminal Law Review 835–848.
32. See Sir Igor Judge's Atkin Lecture, Reform Club, 2 November 2005; available online at http://www.dca.gov.uk/judicial/speeches/sp051125_1.htm
33. Home Office, June 1998.
34. “Competency: Children and Witnesses with Learning Disabilities” (1998) 148 New Law Journal 1472, 1526; the form of words were inspired by article 196 of the Italian Code of Criminal Procedure.
35. [2006] 1 Cr. App.R. 459, 466.
36. Quoted by C.K.Allen, note 4 above, p. 484.
37. A Criminal Code for England and Wales, Law Com. No. 177; HC 299.