What This Hub Covers
This hub brings together UK Politics Decoded’s reporting, explainers, and analysis on crime, policing and the justice system during Parliamentary Term P59. It covers:
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Policing and law enforcement, including officer numbers, crime crackdowns, specialist units, and new powers for forces
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Sentencing, prisons and probation, covering early release rules, prison capacity, and the supervision of offenders on licence
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Courts and the legal system, from major bills to digital court services, legal aid, and access to justice
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Serious and organised crime, including fraud, scam networks, and international law enforcement cooperation
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Child protection and victims, including action on grooming gangs, child sexual abuse, and support for survivors
Justice policy has seen sustained legislative and funding activity this term. This hub is updated as new reporting is published, so readers can follow how the government’s approach to crime and justice develops across Parliamentary Term P59.
Latest Articles
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£1m Panel Gives Child Abuse Survivors a Voice in Government
Up to £1 million over three years will fund a new Victims Commissioner panel, giving adult survivors of child sexual abuse and exploitation a formal role advising government. Here is who runs it, when it starts, and what the announcement leaves unanswered.
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Prison Leavers Face Restriction Zones, Pub Bans and Tagging From 1 October
Offenders leaving prison from 1 October 2026 can be confined to areas just a few miles wide, banned from pubs and football matches, and tagged by default.
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£16m Legal Support Grant. Free Help With Eviction and Debt
Forty eight organisations across England and Wales will share £16 million to give free legal help to people facing eviction, problem debt and benefit disputes until March 2029.
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Possession Claims Move Online, The New Court Service Live in Parts of England
Social landlords in parts of England can now bring possession claims through a new digital service. Here is how it works, who it covers and what it changes.
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UK and Cambodia Sign Deal to Dismantle Online Scam Networks
The UK and US have already frozen more than £125 million in assets tied to Southeast Asian scam networks. Here's what the new UK-Cambodia agreement adds, and why ministers say no country can tackle online fraud alone.
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Knife Crime Crackdown Expands to 230 Areas Across England and Wales
Knife enabled robbery has fallen by 23% since June 2024 in seven pilot police forces, with more than 3,600 fewer robberies recorded.
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500 New Officers to Hunt Down Dirty Money in £500 Million Crackdown
Almost £350 million was stripped from criminals and nearly 4,000 people were convicted of money laundering last year alone. Here's how 500 new officers and a new national strategy aim to go further, and what it means for organised crime on Britain's streets.
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Child Like Sexual Abuse Dolls Offences Bill, What the New Law Would Mean
A government backed bill would criminalise buying, selling or owning child like sexual abuse dolls, closing a legal gap police say has hampered child abuse investigations.
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£110m Fast Tracked to Accelerate Prison Building as Government Targets 14,000 New Places by 2031
£110m fast tracked to accelerate England and Wales prison building, with a Lancashire jail contract signed as part of the drive for 14,000 new places by 2031.
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Hundreds More Offenders Blocked From Early Release as PM Extends Sentencing Act Exclusions
Manslaughter, death by dangerous driving and historic child sex offences are now excluded from the Sentencing Act's early release changes in August 2026.
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Police Rape and Sexual Offence Teams to Cover All Forces by December 2027
Every police force in England and Wales must have a specialist rape and sexual offence team by December 2027, cutting the original 2029 deadline by 18 months. How does the new £13.3 million protection order pilot work and what do the expanded domestic abuse orders mean for victims.
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AI Call Routing to Slash 101 Wait Times as Police Target Four Million Misdirected Calls
Four million of 101's 20 million annual calls reach police by mistake. A new AI routing system, backed by £1.4 million, is set to change that.
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Rape and Child Sex Offences Excluded From Sentencing Act Early Release Changes
From October 2026, the Sentencing Act's new early release framework will not apply to rape, serious child sex offences, or grooming gang crimes. Here's what changes, what stays the same, and what new supervision measures are being introduced.
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High Street Crime Crackdown, New Laws to Shut Down Dodgy Shops Linked to Organised Crime
The Home Secretary announced new legislation on 10 June to double closure order durations, create a dedicated High Street Organised Crime Unit and funnel £30 million into enforcement. Here is what the powers actually cover and what comes next.
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Children and Banned Dogs: A New Rule, the Same Old Problem
The government has introduced a new supervision rule for children under 12 around banned dog breeds. But with attacks still rising, experts say the law itself remains fundamentally broken.
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Unmarried Couples to Get Stronger Financial Rights. What the Government's Consultation Proposes
More than 3.5 million cohabiting couples in England and Wales have almost no automatic financial protections if a relationship ends or a partner dies. The government launched a consultation on 5 June to change that but nothing is law yet, and the proposals carry questions that will take time to resolve.
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£100 Million to Tackle Grooming Gangs and Child Sexual Abuse
The Home Office has announced a record £100 million package targeting child sexual abuse, including a tenfold increase for Operation Beaconport, AI powered tools for every police force, and funding to reopen closed cases and support adult survivors.
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Government Launches National Digital Space to Join Up Youth Justice and Policing
A new secure online platform is connecting police officers and youth justice workers across England and Wales for the first time, but the harder question is whether better communication alone can reduce reoffending by children.
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UK Leads Global Taskforce Launched to Hunt Down Overseas Scammers
The UK led a Global Fraud Summit in Vienna where INTERPOL launched Operation Shadow Storm, a new international taskforce targeting overseas scam networks responsible for the majority of fraud affecting UK victims.
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Government Moves to Protect Children from Abusive Parents Through New Courts and Tribunals Bill
Repeal of presumption of parental involvement intended to prioritise child safety in family court decisions
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Courts and Tribunals Bill (2026): Delivering Swifter Justice for Victims
Landmark criminal justice reform introduces judge only trials for mid tier offences and expanded magistrates' powers to tackle 80,000 case backlog
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£20m Legal Aid Grant to Strengthen Early Legal Support 2026-2029
Government announces £20m multi-year grant for early legal support from 2026-2029, targeting debt, housing, employment, and family issues through Access to Justice Foundation.
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Former MEP Pleads Guilty to Bribery Following Counter-Terrorism Investigation
Former Member of European Parliament pleads guilty to bribery charges following Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Policing investigation into political corruption.
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