Criminal Law Update 2026 - Live with Colin Beaumont

Introduction

2025 and 2026 have been years full of significance in terms of legislation, case-law handed down by the Court of Appeal and the High Court and new Guidelines from the Sentencing Council. We have also been provided with 2 important Acts of Parliament - The Sentencing Act 2026 and the Crime and Policing Act 2026.For criminal practitioners, staying on top of these changes is crucial, but how do you keep up with it all?

This virtual classroom seminar is designed to help you navigate these important updates. We’ll walk you through the key legislative changes, important case-law and the latest Sentencing Council Guidelines that shaped the criminal law landscape in 2025 and 2026.

Whether you work for the Crown Prosecution Service or are a defence lawyer or legal adviser to Magistrates’ or police station adviser, this live session is tailored to benefit anyone involved in criminal law. It’s the perfect way to ensure you stay current, informed and ready to apply the latest developments in your practice.

What You Will Learn

This live and interactive course will cover the following:

• The Sentencing Act 2026 - a consideration of the Commencement Orders and those parts in force
• The Crime and Policing Act 2026 - a consideration of the Commencement Orders and those parts in force
• Important judgements from 2025 and 2026 - the following being merely 8 examples
• Rex v Barker [2025] - [Incorrect sentence imposed at the Crown Court when dealing with summary-only offences]
• The King (on the application of CC) and Plymouth Youth Court [2025] - Expedited judicial review of a decision of a District Judge to retain jurisdiction in the Youth Court
• DPP and Jackson [2025] - A High Court ruling on whether or not the proceedings for a summary-only offence had been instituted in time
• DPP and Jobson [2025] - The High Court considering whether or not theft by way of low-value shoplifting was time-barred where the proceedings were brought outside of the 6 month time limit for summary offences
• Rex v Khan and Husain [2026] - a consideration of bad character
• Rex v Campbell [2026] - an unlawful sentence imposed under the dangerous offender provisions
• Rex v Caudrey [2026] - the Court of Appeal having to amend the type of custodial sentence that had been imposed upon a 20 year old
• Rex v Hopkinson [2026] - the Court of Appeal, yet again, considering a ‘loss of time’ order
• A consideration of the Leveson Review of the Criminal Justice System - 2026 may be a very interesting year in relation to the proposals
• The 2025 Criminal Procedure Rules as supplemented by the Criminal Practice Directions
• Statutory Instrument 2025 No.1251 - 22 December 2025 - a brief review of the amendments to criminal legal aid
• The very latest on the Mazur decision and the conduct of litigation
• Statutory Instrument 2025 No. 1071 and the amendments to the Sentencing Act 2020
• Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-sentence Reports) Act 2025
• Statutory Instrument 2025 No. 833 - The Criminal Justice Act 2003 (Suitability for Fixed Term Recall) Order 2025
• Amendments to the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (Offensive Weapons) Order - Statutory Instrument 2025 No. 681
• Domestic Abuse Protection Notices and Domestic Abuse Protection Orders as replacements for Domestic Violence Protection Notices and Domestic Violence Protection Orders in 2026

Recording of live sessions: Soon after the Learn Live session has taken place you will be able to go back and access the recording - should you wish to revisit the material discussed.