Recent defeats of the Governments proposed Legal Aid changes have raised the possibility that there may be some hope of a proper review of the plans to remove legal aid from vulnerable persons It may be a small step, but one to be welcomed – the Government’s proposals to remove Legal Aid in family and … Continued
Alured Darlington of Hanwell Chambers has urged the Court of Appeal to ensure that the new sentencing guidelines don’t leave drug mules sentenced before the changes serving longer sentences than they should. Alured Darlington of Hanwell Chambers has written to The Solicitors Journal urging the Court of Appeal to ensure that they will not be any disadvantage … Continued
We wrote an article for this months’ Advocate In the article, the QASA Scheme, which is designed to improve the quality of Higher Court Advocacy, is being criticised as being potentially unlawful and deeply flawed.
It is hard not to feel a sense of ennui. If the reaction by the courts following the ‘riots’ is anything to go by, the suggestions that ‘feral’ families are at fault and that the riots were just about lawless looters are difficult to ignore. The courts have certainly approached things in that way, and have handed … Continued
Defendants Costs Orders in the Crown Court are to go. Yesterday, there was a debate. You can read it all here. A removal of Civil Legal in all but a few scenarios is part of the proposed changes, and the removal of what are known as Defendants Costs Orders the remainder. Tomorrow will see the infamous Clause … Continued
The disturbances that initially started in Tottenham on Saturday 6th August and then spread to various areas of London as well as other parts of the country have divided the nation as to how and why they began, and who was responsible. Within a short period of time, there have been an unprecedented number of … Continued
Public Order offences are unusual in that words and behaviour can be sufficient to secure a conviction without any violence being involved as well as requiring interpretation as to whether you were acting as a part of a group or not. The Public Order Act contains most offences involving behaviour which affects order in public … Continued
Following various pressures after police ‘leaks’ of phone hacking, NoTW is to close It seems as if there are forces at work. The News of the World has finally succumbed to clamours for action, by announcing it will close, and this Sunday 11th July will see it’s last edition. Andy Coulson is in custody, Clive Goodman too, the … Continued
Chris Graham, the Information Commissioner appeared on Radio 4 and denounced the failure to clamp down on ‘blagging’, as former NoTW Executive arrested. In view of the recent NoTW developments, the ICO intervention as it’s annual report was published was timely. Chris Graham spoke on the Today programme of the impasse between the Press and policitians for failing to … Continued
The Last Judgement of Nuremberg by Abby Mann is at the Tricycle from 6th July. Following the success of the initial Tricycle Lawyers’ 2001 production of Twelve Angry Men, and the three subsequent productions Are You Now Or Have You Even Been? (2003), Inherit The Wind (2005) and To Kill A Mockingbird(2008), the Tricycle Theatre welcomes a company of legal professionals … Continued
The UK now has anti-bribery provisions which are in force. The Anti-Bribery Act 2010 is now in force and criminalises any act by a United Kingdom citizen or resident to pay or receive a bribe, either directly or indirectly. The act provides for transactions that take place in the UK and abroad, and both in the public … Continued
A most bizarre interpretation of PACE has led to an urgent review by the government of police detention powers. Professor Zander had described the High Court decision in Hookway as a ‘disaster for the police’. The Government have proposed emergency legislation in order to provide assurance to the police that they could continue to operate on the same … Continued
