Critics have said that, rather than considering softening their stance, the government should be looking for ways to plug loopholes and getting tougher on bribery and fraud. There have also been warnings that softening the law will contradict what the Prime Minister said when visiting South-East Asia in a bid to try and drum up new business for the country.

The UK had come under a lot of external pressure from foreign countries amid claims that the government were not doing enough to prevent corruption and bribery. Following years of criticism, the coalition governments introduce what it said was the toughest anti-bribery act the world had seen. At the time, when the Bill was first introduced, the Confederation of British Industry said that it would restrict economic growth, although the PM defended the Bill at the time.

Lobbyists continued to fight against the new laws, even after it was formally introduced in 2011. They said that because it was so much more stringent than laws around the world, it meant that UK businesses were instantly placed at a disadvantage when compared to the rest of the world. They held up US anti-bribery laws as being an example of what they meant.

Despite these concerns continuing, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said that there were a number of loopholes that needed filling, rather than the Bill being softened. Consultation is now likely to begin, and there will be arguments from both sides, so it is unlikely that a decision will be made instantly on whether the Bill needs to be changed or whether the apparent loopholes need to be filled and tightened.

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Car insurance prices had been reducing over the past year or so, following a promise by insurers to lower their prices. However, the AA has reported that the past several months have seen premium prices increasing gradually once again, and while critics will argue that this shouldn’t be happening, insurers will point to the number of fraudulent applications as being one reason why prices must increase.

Another reason for the increase is the rise in insurance tax being levied by the government. The AA has estimated that this increase in tax will equate to a rise of an average of £18 to a typical car owner and on comprehensive policies. This is due to the tax charged to insurance companies increasing from 6% to 9.5% in November and insurers have already warned that this will lead to an increase in prices for customers.

There were a number of fraudulent methods reported. Some of these techniques include giving false information, such as providing a false postcode for an address with lower insurance costs, failing to give details of penalties and endorsements on a licence, and the act of drivers “fronting” policies for their kids – putting themselves down as the main driver, even though the car is driven primarily by their son or daughter.

The ABI also warned drivers about the practice of “ghost broking” where fraudulent brokers sell non-existent policies to drivers. This means that the driver is then unwittingly driving around without insurance, which can lead to penalty points, a hefty fine, and even to disqualification in some cases. It is possible to check the askmid website to determine whether your car is currently and legally insured or not.

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When the cuts were introduced, many lawyers and judges warned that it would be the most vulnerable victims that would suffer the most because they would not have access to the same level of legal aid that they once did, and may even be forced to represent themselves in court if they are unable to pay for a direct access lawyer.

It is believed that Gove’s primary attack will be aimed at the amount of time it takes for vulnerable victims to receive justice once they report a crime. Sources have also said that he is expected to deploy the same level of energy that he used when overhauling the education system in the UK, and he certainly wasn’t afraid of locking horns with senior figures in schools and the education board during his time.

Gove is expected to say that it is unfair that victims are made to suffer twice; once when the crime is committed but also when the crime is reported and the victim waits to have their case heard in the courts. It is the waiting time that seems to have particularly riled the new Justice Secretary, and he is expected to look for ways in which to modernise the legal system and the court system.

Gove is expected to make his speech during his first public address in his role as Justice Secretary when he addresses the Legatum Institute in Central London. He will almost certainly come up against some resistance, and the question of legal aid funding is highly likely to rear its head once again, especially if the government expects a modernisation of the courts system.

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There has long been a gap in the number of sex crimes that are believed to have been committed compared to the number that are reported, and this has largely been down to public confidence. Whereas a murder is reported without fail, victims of sexual assault and rape often choose not to approach the police or report the incident, either because they are afraid of the perceived shame or because they do not believe that the reports will be taken seriously.

However, sentiment has changed notably in the past few years, and especially since high profile cases involving celebrities have hit the headlines. Operation Yewtree, which arose as a result of reported sexual crimes committed by shamed entertainer Jimmy Saville, has seen many more people willing to come forward, and especially because media and police sentiment has been shown to be behind the victims.

Between April 2014 and March 2015, there were 55 murders reported in Scotland, which is two fewer than the year before. Attempted murder and serious assault figures also declined during this period, while violent crime rates fell by 6% overall. The detection rate was 84%, but the number of sexual crimes recorded increased by 9.3%. Rather than being alarmed by these figures, however, Police Scotland has attributed the increase to the change in the way in which such crimes are reported, and the fact that victims are now more likely to report them.

Police Scotland also said that they have made significant in-roads into organised crime in the country, and said that “user satisfaction” with the police force is at a very high level, and has continued to improve since the introduction of a unified service.

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