In this article, we explore what is judicial mercy and the circumstances in which it has been exercised, as well as the circumstances in which the Courts have declined to exercise it notwithstanding there may have been good reasons to do so. What exactly is judicial mercy? The Courts generally follow basic sentencing principles that…
When an offender is sentenced in court, the relevant punishment provisions and the sentencing framework laid down by the Court in previous cases (if any) set the baseline for sentencing. However, the Courts may consider various personal circumstances and other factors, or “mitigating factors” that may warrant a reduction in sentencing severity. What principles do…
The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has announced the re-classification of etomidate from the Poisons Act to the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA). This means that users will be treated and punished as drug offenders. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has also announced its full support for HSA’s crackdown on etomidate-laced vaporisers, also known as…