Monday Message – 10.04.17
Chair’s Update:
Francis FitzGibbon QC
A short message this week – not quite a Tweet, but there’s little to report. Unless the coming week brings surprising developments, there won’t be message on Easter Monday.
Cricket, Lovely Cricket
The cricket season has opened, but not for Mustafa Bashir, whose lie to HHJ Mansell about having a contract to play for Leicestershire got his suspended sentence converted into 18 months immediate. For an illuminating discussion of what happened, and a correction to some of the wilder comments that the case provoked, see the consistently well-reasoned blog by The Secret Barrister. Another timely correctivecomes from Penelope Gibbs of Transform Justice, on common misconceptions about people who plead not guilty. The estimable Jaime (View from the North) Hamilton writes in similar vein.
26 April – Executive Committee, Newcastle
This will be an open meeting, all welcome – remember, Newcastle is one of the places where the double-shift scheme is due to be piloted.
Common Platform
The LAA will be holding an event for ‘defence practitioners’ on 27 April 2017 to present their research findings, at Rose Court, 2 Southwark Bridge, London SE1 9HS, from 4.00pm – 6.00pm.
Places are limited. Tickets available here. Contact is Leanne Galbraith via email or telephone 07739 432754.
Section 67 of the Serious Crime Act 2015
The sexual communication with a child is now an offence; read the act, here.
Webinar: DCS
In May 2017, it is anticipated that an update to DCS will be introduced in order to reduce the number of DCS case files in a multi-hander case to a single DCS case file.
The update to the system will change how Defence users of DCS interact with the system especially when adding documents to a case and annotation/mark-up of documents within the new single Multi-Hander Case on DCS.
This session has been arranged to allow all DCS users to have an understanding of the new DCS Multi-Hander process before it is implemented and give the development team feedback on the current build.
The session will be delivered remotely (as previous DCS training sessions were) allowing individuals to log in to an online meeting environment (WebEx) whether from home or at chambers. Attendees will need access to the internet and to a telephone. Places are limited but members can watch collectively in chambers over one connection using a projector and conference telephone if they wish. The session will last between 45 minutes and an hour.
The DCS development team is keen that attendees interact with the new system during the session in order to gain an understanding of any issues that need to be addressed prior to implementation.
The webinar will be held on Tuesday 18th April for one hour from 17.30.
Places are limited to 25 people although it’s possible for a number of members of chambers to watch on one system. Please email Sophie Shotton to secure your place.
Back in two weeks. If you are having a break, enjoy it.
View more news