Robert's Postbag
Robert receives hundreds of letters from prisoners asking for advice. Some have received unlawful sentences. Each one is answered and a selection of answers are published in Inside Time, the prisoner's newspaper.
The prisoners whose letters are published consent to the replies being published. However, no details which would identify the prisoner are given.
Only letters sent via a solicitor can be answered. Letters sent direct will be returned. Serving prisoners should send their letters to Inside Time, who will send it to a solicitor.
For the chronological list, click here.
Postbag By Subject
Advocates providing adequate services and low pay August 2015 Q2
Incompetent advocate as ground of appeal February 2016
Affray December 2012 Q2
Age
Determing April 2015 Q2
Air rifle
Changes in law May 2013 Q1
Minimum sentences May 2013 Q1
Anonymity
Asking for December 2012 Q3
Issuing June 2015 Q1
Transcripts June 2015 Q1
Appeals
Crown Court December 2012 Q2
Court of Appeal November 2013 Q2, March 2013 Q2, June 2014 Q3
Critisism of former representatives November 2016 Q2
From Magistrates Court to Crown Court July 2014 Q2
Incompetent advocate February 2016
Late appeals January 2014 Q2
Litigants in person November 2016 Q2
Minor errors in papers March 2011 Q4
Other avenues of November 2013 Q2
Out of time March 2011 Q3
Police misconduct November 2016 Q2
Tag time January 2014 Q2
Time awaiting an, August 2014 Q2
Archbold
Errors in chapter on suspended sentences December 2010 Q1
Arson November 2011 Q3
Assaults
Group violence December 2012 Q2
Association in prison, Rights October 2014 Q1
Attorney-General's references, who can request June 2012 Q3
Automatic life March 2014 Q2, June 2014 Q1
Bail
Breach of July 2012 Q1
Bar Pro Bono Unit September 2011 Q5
Barred lists
Indecent photographs October 2013 Q2
Barring
Gay offences now legal 28 July 2015
Burglary
Breach of trust November 2013 Q1
Commercial: Guidelines February 2011 Q3, October 2011 Q2
Domestic: Guidelines October 2010 Q1
Dwelling?, What is March 2014 Q1
Minimum term March 2014 Q1
Multiple offences October 2013 Q3
Unoccupied premises May 2013 Q2
Cases not dealt with together June 2011 Q3
Child Cruelty August 2014 Q1
Clothing, Ability to wear own at court July 2014 Q1
Complaint against
Barrister June 2011 Q3
Judge July 2012 Q3
Probation April 2011 Note
Confiscation orders
Prison in default of payments April 2014 Q3
Consecutive sentences February 2013 Q3
Conspiracy cases January 2016
Conspiracy to
Rob November 2011 Q1
Supply drugs February 2012 Q2
Contempt of court
Photographing courtrooms November 2010 Q1
Conviction
Wrong June 2012 Q2
Addiction, minimum sentences December 2016 Q1
Assessing the category when the weight falls between categories January 2014 Q1
Courier under pressure Jan 2017 Q1
Definitive guideline January 2012 part one, January 2012 part two, February 2012 Q2
Purity April 2012 Q2
Significant roles January 2014 Q1
Street dealing January 2016
Weight of drugs April 2012 Q2
Evidence - New, after plea October 2012 Q1
Extended sentences
Appeal August 2013 Q2
Availability December 2012 Q1, April 2013 Q1
Criteria May 2014 Q2
Consecutive sentences May 2014 Q2
Defendant has Schedule 15B conviction August 2015 Q2
Is release automatic? December 2012 Q1
Release April 2013 Q1, April 2014 Q2, December 2014 Q3, August 2015 Q2
The different orders November 2010 Q4
Time to serve December 2012 Q1
Unlawful sentences May 2014 Q2
Factual basis
Judge determining April 2013 Q1, January 2016
The Newton trap November 2014
False mitigation
Guilty plea, and May 2012 whole document
Firearms
Exceptional circumstances August 2016 Q1
Minimum sentences August 2012 Q2
Need to separate count when linked with another offence December 2014 Q2
Vulnerable defendant August 2012 Q2
Foreign convictions, Admissibility July 2012 Q1
Fraud
Compensation and confiscation December 2013 Q1
Suspended sentence December 2015 Q1
Good character January 2016
Guideline
Applying the March 2016 Q1, November 2016 Q1
Drugs definitive January 2012 part one, January 2012 part two, February 2012 Q2
History of September 2016
Moving outside the given starting point/range November 2016 Q1
Problems with September 2016
Sentencing in excess of March 2012 Q3
Which category? Persons under pressure Jan 2017 Q1
Guilty pleas
Can the judge reduce guilty plea credit? May 2014 Q2
Credit June 2014 Q2
Discount for April 2014 Q1
Guide to May 2012 whole document
Judge fails to mention January 2011 Q2
Life sentence December 2010 Q2
Murder February 2014 Q3
Historic cases
Guilty plea, and May 2012 whole document
Home Detention Curfew Scheme June 2013 whole document
Arson May 2013 Q5
Sentences over 4 years May 2013 Q3
Sexual offences May 2013 Q4
Hospital Orders September 2014 Q2
IPP (the law has changed since some of these questions were answered)
Commencement December 2012 Q1
Current status December 2014 Q1
Guilty plea, and May 2012 whole document
Number of still serving prisoners serving short terms December 2014 Q1, November 2015
Joint enterprise May 2015 Q2
Judge/Judicial
Asking for a different one September 2011 Q3
Bias December 2016 Q2
Asking a judge not to sit because of July 2014 Q3
Dangerous offenders October 2014 Q2
Determining the facts January 2016
Determining matters not decided by a jury December 2014 Q2
Gives wrong release date February 2013 Q4, April 2013 Q1
Indications June 2014 Q2
Sentencing for matters where there is no conviction December 2014 Q2
Legal Aid -
Mixed with private funding December 2016 Q2
Prison Adjudications September 2012 Prison and release law Q1
Letters to victims March 2012 Q1
Licence
Breach of, Other sentences can't be consecutive to it 2015 May Q3
Recall June 2011 Q2, August 2011 Q1
Life sentences
Automatic March 2014 Q2
Dangerous provisions with automatic life March 2014 Q2
Fresh sentences February 2013 Q1
Guilty plea March 2011 Q1, May 2012 whole document
Whole life February 2012 Q1
Looters September 2011 Q1, October 2011 Q1
Magistrates' Court sentencing powers December 2011 Q1
Manslaughter November 2011 Q2
Joint enterprise May 2015 Q2
Matters
Not charged October 2012 Q2
All matters should be dealt with at the same time October 2012 Q2
Mental illness/depression affecting sentence October 2013 Q1
Minimum sentences
Firearms August 2012 Q2
Guilty plea, and May 2012 whole document
Unjust, Meaning December 2016 Q1
When do they apply? February 2011 Q1, March 2011 Q2
Mitigation, Using September 2014 Q3
Mobile phone, Solicitor calling client in prison on September 2011 Q6
Money laundering November 2011 Q1
Mothers as defendants August 2016 Q1
Murder
Attempt April 2011 Q1, November 2011 Q3
Conspiracy to June 2014 Q1
Determing the minimum term March 2016 Q2
Guilty plea discount February 2014 Q3
Whole life February 2012 Q1
Newton hearings October 2012 Q1
Offences Against the Person Act 1861 s 18
Boiling water December 2010 Q2
Relationship offences Guidelines December 2010 Q2
Knives November 2010 Q2
Offensive weapon
Peaky blinder hat February 2014 Q1
Out of time, Appeals March 2011 Q3
Penalty points March 2013 Q2
Perverting the course of justice March 2013 Q2
Phone hacking August 2011 Q4
Photographing court rooms November 2010 Q1
Plea
Discount for December 2011 Q2
Influencing August 2014 Q3
Police
Corruption August 2011 Q4
Misconduct November 2016 Q2
Poppy project November 2010 Q3
Possession of alcohol in prison May 2011 Q3
Presence: Right to be present for your hearing September 2011 Q2
Pre-sentence reports
Dealing with conflicting conclusions April 2013 Q1
Correcting/challenging them October 2014 Q3
Lying in them May 2014 Q2
Previous convictions
Historical 28 July 2015
How to treat gay offences now legal 28 July 2015
Presenting previous June 2012 Q2
Previous, How to treat 28 July 2015
Prison Adjudication
Appeals September 2012 Prison and release law Q1
Funerals, Leave to attend September 2012 Prison and release law Q3
Legal Aid September 2012 Prison and release law Q1
Standard of proof September 2012 Prison and release law Q1
Prison
Categories September 2012 Prison and release law Q2
Disciplinary proceedings and sentence May 2011 Q3
Drug couriers under pressure Jan 2017 Q1
Harsh conditions May 2015 Q1
Homosexuality August 2013 Q3
In default of paying fines April 2014 Q3
Mail, receiving January 2014 Q2
Medical December 2013 Q4
Mobile phone
Solicitor calling prisoner on September 2011 Q6
Offences June 2012 Q2
Noise September 2014 Q1
Population, reducing December 2015 Q2
Right to association October 2014 Q1
Safety of inmates July 2013 Q3
Visits September 2013 Q1
Writing letters September 2013 Q3
Private funding mixed with legal aid December 2016 Q2
Privileged defendants February 2011 Q2
Probation Service
Problems with reports January 2011 Q1
Rape
Consensual March 2012 Q4
Girl under 13 March 2012 Q4
Relationship November 2016 Q1
Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974
Spent convictions 28 July 2015
Release
Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 March 2015
Extended sentences April 2014 Q2
Foreign nationals July 2016 Q2
Representing yourself September 2011 Q4
Representation - Poor April 2013 Q2
Release
Reviews, Prison categories September 2012 Prison and release law Q2
Robbery, Street August 2011 Q2, July 2013 Q2
Sentence
Ability to increase July 2014 Q2
Can't increase the November 2013 Q3
Delay before January 2016
Sentencing remarks
Failure to mention guilty plea January 2011 Q2
Giving wrong release date February 2013 Q4, April 2013 Q1
Sexual assault December 2013 Q2
Sexual Offences July 2013 Q1
Child sex March 2016 Q1
Different starting points for similar offending September 2016
Sexual Offences Prevention Orders May 2011 Q2, June 2011 Q1, July 2011 Q2,
Why most SOPOs are defective: August 2011 Note
Statutory rape March 2012 Q4
Solicitor calling prisoner on mobile phone September 2011 Q6
SOPO July 2012 Q2
Street robbery August 2011 Q2
Supply of drugs
Determining the amount April 2013 Q1
Heroin and crack February 2012 Q2
Prison couriers under pressure Jan 2017 Q1
Street dealing February 2012 Q2, August 2013 Q1, August 2015 Q1
Tag time February 2014 Q2
Duties of advocates January 2014 Q2
How to assess January 2014 Q2
Late appeals January 2014 Q2
Terrorism July 2011 Q1
Theft
Breach of trust March 2012 Q3
High value not known at time August 2012 Q3
Valuable articles August 2012 Q3
Three strikes rule: When does it apply? February 2011 Q1, March 2011 Q2
Trafficked victims November 2010 Q3, December 2010 Note
Transcripts, Paying for December 2016 Q2
Unlawful orders July 2012 Q2
Varying orders July 2012 Q2
Vulnerable defendant - Firearms August 2012 Q2
Whole life tariff February 2012 Q1