Monthly Archives: August 2012

Lighting the blue touch paper

Posted on 18/08/2012 by samchapman

You are going to have to read this one to the end! The Senior Presiding Judge for England and Wales has issued new guidance, which you can find on the APCCs website, following TopOfTheCops revelation of his previous decision to … Continue reading →

Posted in Perspectives | 6 Comments

Be afraid; be very afraid of who you elect as your Commissioner

Posted on 17/08/2012 by samchapman

Mervyn Barrett OBE, an Independent Candidate in Lincolnshire, gives his view on “tough on crime”. TopOfTheCops view on the same issue is here, but if you would like to pen an alternative view on this or another relevant topic, why … Continue reading →

Posted in Independents, Perspectives | 25 Comments

Candidate Statement of David Bowles

Posted on 15/08/2012 by samchapman

David Bowles is standing as an Independent candidate to be the Police and Crime Commissioner for Lincolnshire. If you are intending to stand to be Police and Crime Commissioner where you live, you can submit your own Candidate Statement, so … Continue reading →

Posted in Candidate Statements, Independents | 3 Comments

After the Olympics

Posted on 14/08/2012 by samchapman

After yesterday's publication of the list of candidates who had declared they had no reason to be worried about a criminal record keeping them out of the race, there have been a few more entries. The first is a surprise … Continue reading →

Posted in Perspectives | 3 Comments

Which candidates are in the clear?

Posted on 14/08/2012 by samchapman

Recent withdrawals from the PCC elections flow from an increased appreciation of the strict nature of the rules on how previous convictions, including otherwise 'spent' convictions and those incurred as a juvenile, can disqualify a person from standing. Those withdrawals … Continue reading →

Posted in Perspectives | 2 Comments

You fought the law, and you won.

Posted on 12/08/2012 by samchapman

On Thursday, TopOfTheCops revealed exclusively to the world how one of Britain's most senior judges had decided to do what Parliament had not, and ban magistrates from standing as Police and Crime Commissioners. TopOfTheCops readers in the press began to … Continue reading →

Posted in Perspectives | 7 Comments

Another candidate withdraws for no reason?

Posted on 10/08/2012 by samchapman

Alan Charles, Labour candidate in Derbyshire has withdrawn from the election this morning believing himself to be disqualified because of a conditional discharge he received when he was 14. Perhaps he should have read Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act … Continue reading →

Posted in Perspectives | Tagged | 5 Comments

None-fessions and Nonsense

Posted on 10/08/2012 by samchapman

It has been an eventful 48 hours at TopOfTheCops. First we had Labour Police and Crime Commissioner candidate for Avon and Somerset confirm the site’s many predictions around previous criminal convictions when he stood down because he was disqualified due … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Senior Judge bans magistrates from PCC role

Posted on 08/08/2012 by samchapman

Anyone wondering how Police and Crime Commissioners are going to be welcomed by the judiciary may be best advised to think in terms of pork pies and bar mitzvahs. That at least is the message one picks up from JO … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 16 Comments

A matter of Conviction

Posted on 08/08/2012 by samchapman

Today Bob Ashford has stood down as Labour PCC candidate for Avon and Somerset, having achieved some clarity on the fact that convictions dating from his youth 46 years ago will disqualify him from standing for the office. These were, … Continue reading →

Posted in Perspectives | Tagged | 15 Comments