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Britain to allow retrials after murder acquittals
LONDON, June 20 (Reuters) - Britain's Labour government said on Wednesday it would overhaul the ancient principle of "double jeopardy" to allow the retrial of people acquitted of murder if new evidence emerged.
Outlining its plans for the next parliamentary session, Prime Minister Tony Blair's government promised a Criminal Justic Bill to reform prison sentencing and rules of evidence.
Taking up a recommendation from the Macpherson inquiry into the 1993 killing of black teenager Stephen Lawrence in London, it said it would allow the retrial of someone acquitted of murder where "there is compelling new evidence of guilt."
The existing "double jeopardy" rule prevents people from being charged with an offence if they have already been aquitted of it. But experts say the advent of DNA technology in recent years could cast new light on any number of serious cases.
The proposal, to apply only to murder cases, was one of the key findings in a report by retired judge William Macpherson into the Lawrence murder which also criticised the police investigation.
Lawrence was set on and stabbed to death by a gang of white men while waiting for a bus in south London eight years ago. His killers have never been brought to justice although three men were tried and acquitted.
Blair's government promised to strengthen protection against sex offenders by tightening up registration requirements under the Sex Offenders Act.
The move follows public anger against paedophiles and a series of vigilante attacks last year against suspected sex offenders.
It also pledged to reform laws on corruption to tackle corruption in the public sector in the same way as it is handled in the private sector.
It would deal with the position of members of parliament and foreign public officials and would extend the jurisdiction of British courts over offences of corruption carried out abroad by British nationals.
A parliamentary report earlier this year said Britain could not lecture developing countries on tackling corruption while it had no legal control over British nationals who bribe foreign officials for contracts outside Britain.
LONDON, June 20 (Reuters) - Britain's Labour government said on Wednesday it would overhaul the ancient principle of "double jeopardy" to allow the retrial of people acquitted of murder if new evidence emerged.
Outlining its plans for the next parliamentary session, Prime Minister Tony Blair's government promised a Criminal Justic Bill to reform prison sentencing and rules of evidence.
Taking up a recommendation from the Macpherson inquiry into the 1993 killing of black teenager Stephen Lawrence in London, it said it would allow the retrial of someone acquitted of murder where "there is compelling new evidence of guilt."
The existing "double jeopardy" rule prevents people from being charged with an offence if they have already been aquitted of it. But experts say the advent of DNA technology in recent years could cast new light on any number of serious cases.
The proposal, to apply only to murder cases, was one of the key findings in a report by retired judge William Macpherson into the Lawrence murder which also criticised the police investigation.
Lawrence was set on and stabbed to death by a gang of white men while waiting for a bus in south London eight years ago. His killers have never been brought to justice although three men were tried and acquitted.
Blair's government promised to strengthen protection against sex offenders by tightening up registration requirements under the Sex Offenders Act.
The move follows public anger against paedophiles and a series of vigilante attacks last year against suspected sex offenders.
It also pledged to reform laws on corruption to tackle corruption in the public sector in the same way as it is handled in the private sector.
It would deal with the position of members of parliament and foreign public officials and would extend the jurisdiction of British courts over offences of corruption carried out abroad by British nationals.
A parliamentary report earlier this year said Britain could not lecture developing countries on tackling corruption while it had no legal control over British nationals who bribe foreign officials for contracts outside Britain.
