United Kingdom

Serious Fraud Office

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is the part of the criminal justice system which investigates serious fraud in the business and financial sector in the United Kingdom. Its website provides information on the purpose and structure of the organisation and sections of the site deal with fraud, bribery and corruption, victims and witnesses. There are recent press releases, its operational handbook and annual reports from 1996 onwards. The latter contain details of cases prosecuted and frauds under investigation.

Inquiry into Crown Prosecution Service Decision-Making in Relation to Deaths in Custody and Related Matters

This website provides full text access to the 1999 report of the Inquiry into Crown Prosecution Service Decision-Making in Relation to Deaths in Custody and Related Matters chaired by Gerald Butler QC. There are chapters dealing with the specific cases of Richard Joseph O’Brien, Oluwashijibomi Lapite and Derek John Treadaway and other death in custody cases.

Stephen Lawrence Inquiry: Report of an Inquiry by Sir William MacPherson of Cluny

Full-text report of the inquiry into the police investigation of the murder of the black teenager Stephen Lawrence which was published as Cm 4262-1 in February 1999. Volume one examines the racially motivated murder of Stephen Lawrence in 1993, analyses the police handling of the case including the initial gathering of evidence at the scene, surveillance of suspects and the failure to prosecute the prime suspects. Recommendations for the reform of the Metropolitan Police service and UK police forces as a whole are made in the report.

Judicial Committee of the Privy Council

The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council is the highest court of appeal for the UK’s overseas territories and crown dependencies, and for certain Commonwealth countries. Its website provides a description of the Committee’s work, together with biographies of the justices, practice directions, rules and forms. Judgments are available from November 2009 onwards (earlier judgments are on the Privy Council Office website and BAILII) and summaries of pending cases are also provided.

Building Regulations

This part of the UK government website provides guidance on obtaining approval for building work. There is a link to the Building Regulations which promote standards for the construction and energy efficiency of buildings in England and Wales. There is a link to the Planning Portal site which gives guidance to planning rules and building regulations for the most common building work projects for the home including extensions and conservatories.

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