Legal News & Articles

Legal Article: Released Under Investigation

03 September 2021

An individual released under investigation is regarded as being of the same status as a person released on bail, but without the requirement for them to return to the station on a specified date. Whilst most officers are now more than familiar with this form of release, procedurally, the concept still generates a significant number of queries for PNLD, namely because many aspects relating to the release are not directly provided for within the legislation. PNLD Legal Adviser, Ruth Hartley, highlights some queries of interest received by PNLD, below.

Misuse of Drugs - New Class C drugs

18 August 2021

Three benzodiazepines, known as flualprazolam, flunitrazolam and norfludiazepam, have been added to Part 3 of Schedule 2 to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 on 18th August 2021, therefore making the compounds Class C drugs from that date.

Legal Article: Stalking Protection Orders

27 July 2021

The Stalking Protection Act 2019 came in force on the 20th January 2020 and with it came the introduction of Stalking Protection Orders (SPOs). These civil orders, which could be applied for without the need for criminal proceedings to have commenced, aimed to protect victims with pre-conviction intervention. PNLD published an article in February 2020 with details of the new orders; how they could be applied for, what they could achieve and offences that would committed upon breach.