WIREDGOV

This circular describes the intended purpose of changes to the law on the use of force in self defence in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 and the Crime and Courts Bill and outlines the arrangements for their commencement.

It is rare for householders to be confronted by intruders in their homes and even rarer for them to be arrested, prosecuted and convicted as a result of any force they used to protect themselves. When such cases do occur, the Government believes they can give rise to a public perception that the law is balanced in favour of the intruder. In response to these concerns the Coalition Agreement committed ‘to ensure that people have the protection that they need when they defend themselves against intruders’.

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