Project status: Complete
There is a rule of law, known as the forfeiture rule, which states that a person may not inherit from someone whom he or she has unlawfully killed. In 2000 the Court of Appeal decided that the forfeiture rule, when applied alongside the rules on intestate succession, disinherits not only the killer, but also the … Read more >
Project status: Complete
Project status: Complete
Project status: Complete
We consulted on this project in April 1999 and published our final report in 2002, along with a draft Bill. Our final report made recommendations for reforming and simplifying the law of fraud, by repealing the eight offences of deception created by the Theft Acts 1968–96 and abolishing the common law crime of conspiracy to … Read more >
Project status: Complete
Project status: Complete
Download the report Download the summary The problem Hate crime are acts of violence or hostility directed at people because of who they are. The police and CPS record data on hate crimes for five protected characteristics: disability transgender identity race religion sexual orientation. But criminal law does not treat all of those protected characteristics … Read more >
Project status: Complete
Project status: Complete
Project status: Complete
The High Court has supervisory power over the Crown Court, but it is limited. It does not include “matters relating to trial on indictment”. The reason for this limitation is that it is in the interests of justice for trials to proceed without being delayed by appeals and applications to the High Court. The problem lies … Read more >
Project status: Complete
This project, which arises out of our previous work on housing law reform and tribunals, aimed to identify and address regulatory challenges in the private rented sector. It was the first project we undertook jointly with the Welsh Assembly Government. (Housing is a policy area devolved to the National Assembly for Wales.) In this project we were not … Read more >