Greetings of the Season 2025

To all readers - A Very Happy Christmas and New Year 2025.

I've taken a little break from blogging but will resume around New Year 2026

 

Grooming gangs inquiry - Government announcement 9 December 2025

On Tuesday 9 December 2025, the Home Secretary (Shabana Mahmood MP) informed the House of Commons of the appointment of a Chair for the Grooming Gangs Inquiry and also published DRAFT terms of reference. The announcement was long-awaited.

The appointed Chair is Anne Longfield (Baroness Longfield) who was the Children's Commissioner for England from from March 2015 until the end of February 2021. On receiving her peerage, Longfield took the Labour Whip in the House of Lords which she will now resign.

There are to be two other

Sandie Peggie v Fife Health Board and Dr Beth Upton

On 8 December 2025, the Employment Tribunal (Scotland) handed down judgment in the case of Sandie Peggie v Fife Health Board and Dr Beth Upton. The complete judgment extends to 312 pages and is available via the Judiciary website.

Sandie Peggie claimed against both her employer (Fife Health Board) and Dr Beth Upton. The claims related to the use by Dr Upton (a trans woman) of a female changing room at Victoria Hospital (Kirkcaldy) where both Sandie Peggie and Beth Upton worked,

Sandie Peggie alleged breaches of the Equality Act 2010 in relation

Joey Barton receives Suspended Sentence Order for Malicious Communications

A post of 18 September 2025, noted that modern English criminal law has a considerable number of statutory "Communications" offences.

• Malicious Communications Act 1988 section 1 - Offence of sending letters etc. with intent to cause distress or anxiety.

• Communications Act 2003 section 127 - Improper use of public electronic communications network.

• Online Safety Act 2023 Part 10 - this contains several offences relating to communications. 

Mr Joseph ("Joey") Barton was a professional footballer for Manchester City FC (2002 - 2007) and Manchester United FC (2007 - 2011). 

On 8 December 2025, he was sentenced for 6 offences under section 1(1)(b) of the Malicious Communications Act 1988.  He was convicted of the offences by a jury.

The section applies to

Local government - Elections

On 16 December 2024, the government published the English Devolution White Paper. This envisaged major changes to the structure of local government. The plans move away from the "two-tier" structure (County and District Councils) which has largely prevailed since the Local Government Act 1972.

The same day, the government wrote to all councils in remaining two-tier areas to set out plans for a programme of both devolution and local government reorganisation - see Local Government Association - Devolution Deals. 

On 5 February 2025, the government made a statement about English Devolution and Local Government. The Minister - (then Angela Rayner MP) - said

The jury is out ..... Secretary of State for Justice announces proposals for criminal justice reform

Back in July, Sir Brian Leveson (a former Lord Justice of Appeal) published the first part of his Independent Review of the Criminal Courts. Initial thoughts about the report may be read in the previous post 6 July 2025. 

Independent Review of the Criminal Courts Part 1 (pdf 388 pages). Part 2 of the report - (Efficiency) - continues to be awaited.

On Tuesday 2 November 2025, the Secretary of State for Justice (Mr David Lammy MP) announced to the House of Commons the government's proposals for criminal justice reforms - see Hansard 2 December. 

At this point we can note that indictable-only offences (i.e. triable ONLY in the Crown Court) will continue to be tried with juries. There are many such offences including murder, manslaughter, causing death by dangerous driving, robbery, aggravated burglary etc. 

An exception will be 'exceptionally technical and lengthy fraud and financial trials' where judges will be able to sit without a jury where appropriate. Lammy said - 'While those cases are small in number, they place undue pressure on jurors to sit for months—a significant interference with their personal and professional lives.'  Naturally one wonders whether that reasoning will come to apply to other types of case - e.g. cases involving difficult forensic or medical evidence etc.

Many offences are "triable either-way" -