Drugs

Middle-class drug users could lose their passports or driving licences as part of a new UK government strategy on drugs. The news comes as it was reported that traces of cocaine were found in 11 bathrooms in Parliament.

In a world first, New Zealand has legalised drug-checking after passing a law to allow a temporary pill testing service at festivals to continue and expand. In contrast, other countries' drug-checking services have operated in a legal grey zone.

The High Court has granted an injunction against the DPP restraining the prosecution of a man of a drug-driving charge due to a breach of fair procedures. The court held that the wrong charge had been preferred by the DPP and that the DPP had made representations to the District Court that the charg

The Court of Appeal has allowed an appeal against conviction for a man accused of an offence contrary to s.15 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977. The court held that the jury had not been properly charged in relation to the inference-drawing provisions of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 in circumstances

The annual Scarman lecture hosted by the School of Criminology at the University of Leicester will tonight focus on drugs and criminal justice in the UK in 2021. Sue McAllister CB, the former head of the Northern Ireland Prison Service and now the prisons and probation ombudsman for England and Wale

Possession of class A drugs such as heroin, cocaine and MDMA may incur a police warning rather than prosecution under a new "diversion from prosecution" policy for drugs announced by Scotland's Lord Advocate, Dorothy Bain QC. In a statement, Ms Bain said: "I have decided that an extension of the rec

The High Court has ruled that mandatory-minimum sentences for those with previous convictions for serious drug trafficking is contrary to the Constitution. Under section 27(3F) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977, a person had to receive at least 10 years’ imprisonment if they had previously been

Prosecutions for the possession of cannabis have declined dramatically in the UK over the past decade, according to new figures. New analysis from House of Commons researchers shows that the number of prosecutions fell by around a third from 160,733 in 2010/11 to 110,085 in 2019/20.

The Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal from a man convicted under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 for being in possession of drugs with a value of more than €13,000. The man had claimed that the drugs had a market value worth less than €13,000 because, when sold between dealers, the drug

Prisons should offer free cannabis to drug-dependent prisoners to determine whether it could stem overdose deaths and reduce violence, a police and crime commissioner has said. Arfon Jones, North Wales PCC, said if the authorities seriously wanted to reduce violence in prisons, “they should be

Gardaí will now issue cautions to adults caught with small amounts of cannabis and cannabis resin in a significant expansion of the adult cautioning scheme introduced nearly 15 years ago. The scheme provides "an alternative to the prosecution of certain persons against whom there is evidence

Vancouver, one of the biggest cities in Canada, has become the first jurisdiction in the country to take steps towards decriminalising personal possession of drugs including heroin and cocaine. City councillors unanimously backed proposals from Mayor Kennedy Stewart to adopt a "health-focused" appro

Gardaí have arrested a woman in an ongoing operation to disrupt the supply of drugs and contraband to prisoners attending a court in Co Cork. Officers said they searched a number of people in the vicinity of Mallow Court House under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 yesterday morning.

Around 140,000 tablets intended for illegal distribution over the internet have been seized in Northern Ireland in part of a global operation co-ordinated by Interpol. The Northern Ireland operation, carried out by Organised Crime Task Force (OCTF) partners, was part of the global "Operation Pangea

Drugs prosecutions in Scotland have plummeted following a change in policy. Figures show that cases have halved in four years, with prosecutors applying what they say is "smart", not "soft touch" justice, our sister publication Scottish Legal News reports.