Weekly Round Up – 10.02.12
Chairman’s Update:
CPS Panels appeals have been the topic of the week. You should now be aware that the CPS have accepted that appellants may submit one further reference or supporting document on appeal, in addition to their own 500 words as previously negotiated. Please continue to use the support offered by your Circuit Leader and local silks. Good luck. I welcome any evidence of anomalies or other errors in the process thus far, whether revealed by personal feedback supplied to you on request, or otherwise.
The process for applications to those departments previously supported by the Unified List, which List is due to expire at the end of March, has been revised and updated. Current List counsel should have received a further letter this week. You can read the relevant information here. If you have any questions, send them to me.
Those on the Western and Midland Circuits know, from my visits over recent weeks, that the CBA Survey is imminent. I hope that it will commence via our website in the next fortnight. I shall write again as soon as that happens.
Finally, the annual Spring Conference will be held at the University of Northumbria Newcastle, this year. I am sure this will be a stimulating and thought provoking day with a chance to engage with members of the Bar from the length and breadth of the country. We have secured, His Honour Judge Browne QC, Lord Justice Hooper, Penny Barrett and other members of the CCRC as our honoured guest speakers, together with an educational programme of the highest calibre for our friends in the North East. Details will be published over the next few days.
Have a good weekend
Max
The international professional and legal development grant programme-now accepting applications
The Criminal Bar Association, Commercial Bar Association, Family Law Bar Association, London Common Law and Commercial Bar Association, Personal Injury Bar Association and Technology and Construction Bar Association together with the Bar Council Scholarships Trust fund the 2012 grant programme. Now in its fourth year, the programme offers members of these specialist bar associations that are 7 years call or less, who are in employed or self-employed practice, financial assistance to participate in international legal events and conferences of their choice. The event must contribute to their professional development and legal practice and take place this year.
The cost of participating in such events is shared equally between the applicant, his or her SBA and the Trust. The grant programme thereby funds up to two thirds of the cost of participating in an international legal event.
The first deadline for applications to the grant programme is 5pm 24 February with another two taking place at 5pm on 18 May or 28 September.
For more information and directions on how to apply for the programme please visit the international pages of the Bar Council website HERE. Any queries as to the application process and administration of the programme should be directed to Sarah Richardson [email protected].
CRIMINAL LAW WEEK
CBA NEWS FEED
Criminal Law Week – updates (issue 6)
Key updates from this week’s issue of Criminal Law Week:
Sex offender notification requirements – period for which an offender with an extended sentence will be subject to notification requirements: R. (Minter) v. Chief Constable of Hampshire, D.C. (CLW/12/06/17).
Contempt – judicial confirmation that trials for contempt of court on indictment are obsolete: Att.-Gen. v. Dallas, D.C. (CLW/12/06/2).
Manslaughter (diminished responsibility) – whether the amendments to the Homicide Act 1957 by the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 have altered the test of “substantial impairment”: R. v. Brown (Robert), C.A. (CLW/12/06/9).
Privilege against self-incrimination – two cases consider the privilege in the context of disclosure of encryption and the phone-hacking scandal (CLW/12/06/4 & 5).
Extradition – three extradition cases examining the provisions of the Extradition Act 2003 in their application to category 1 territories (CLW/12/06/10-12).
CBA Events for your Diary:
Date: Friday 20th / Saturday 21st April 2012
Title: The CBA Spring Conference, Northumbria University, Newcastle
Date: Friday 18th May 2012
Title: CBA Annual Dinner, Middle Temple Hall, Middle Temple, London
Other News
Sentencing Council launches new definitive guideline for drug offences
Please click here to read a letter drafted to the Solicitors Journal by a member of the Criminal Bar in response to the New Guidelines published on 24January. Please note the point emphasised that if it is still possible to appeal within the 28 day period that should be done now so the lay clients still have a chance of a substantial prison sentence reduction if the Court of Appeal decide to draw a line under those cases that are filed in time.
Sentencing Council: drug offences guideline announcement
Click here to read the drug offences guideline announcement
Launch of the European Criminal Justice Observatory (ECJO) Website
A website devoted to training and networking on European criminal law for legal practitioners and others interested.
For further information on the launch of ECJO click here
Other Events:
The Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, School of Advanced Study, University of London, is pleased to announce the following free events:
Wednesday 22 February 2012
6th Annual Experiencing the Law Conference
Title: Accessing Justice: Rights, Responsibilities and Effective Strategies
Speakers include: Professor Avrom Sherr, Director, IALS; Professor Barry Godfrey, Keele; Lord Bach, House of Lords Opposition Spokesperson on Justice; Oliver Blaiklock, CCBH@KCL; Dr Kim Stevenson and Dr Tom Smith, Plymouth; Dr Judith Rowbotham,NTU; Vikram Sachdeva and Victoria Butler Cole, 39 Essex Street Chambers;
Website: www.sas.ac.uk/events/view/11265
Venue: Institute of Advanced Legal Studies 17 Russell Square, London WC1B 5DR.
Conference Fees: £65.00; Academic/NGO Rate: £40.00; Student Rate; £20.00.
For further information contact: [email protected].
(This conference is an initiative between SOLON, the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and the Centre for Contemporary British History at King’s College London.)
________________________________________
Date: Friday 24 February 2012, 2pm to 5pm
Title: Crime and Criminal Process in Historical Perspective
Speakers: HENRY MARES, University of Oxford; RUTH PALEY, History of Parliament; and PHIL HANDLER, University of Manchester.
Website: www.sas.ac.uk/events/view/11422
Venue: Institute of Advanced Legal Studies 17 Russell Square, London WC1B 5DR.
To register email: [email protected].
Admission Free, All Welcome.
(Organised with the London Legal History Seminar.)
________________________________________
Date: Thursday 22 March 2012, 2pm to 5.30m
Title: Serving Time in a Foreign Land: The Framework Decision on the Mutual Recognition of Custodial Sentences
Website: www.sas.ac.uk/events/view/11291
Venue: Institute of Advanced Legal Studies 17 Russell Square, London WC1B 5DR.
To register email: [email protected]. Admission Free, All Welcome.
(Organised in association with the European Criminal Law Association (UK).)
Seventh Dame Ann Ebsworth Memorial Lecture
‘Looking the Other Way – Have Judges Abandoned the Advocates?’ – The Rt. Hon. Lord Justice Moses
Monday 13 February 2012 at 6pm
Middle Temple Hall
1 CPD Point
Reserve a place email: [email protected]
Details on website: http://www.southeastcircuit.org.uk/events/dame-ann-ebsworth-seventh-memorial-lecture
Middle Temple Member “Women’s Forum”
Middle Temple Women’s Forum aims to inspire and support female members of the Inn throughout the course of their careers.
You are warmly welcome to join us for our inaugural event from 6.00 to 8.00 pm on Tuesday, 6 March 2012, at which our keynote speaker will be The Rt Hon Lady Justice Hallett. Drinks will be served in an informal setting where you will have a chance to meet other Middle Templars and the members of our Women’s Forum Steering Group. Please do feel free
to bring a guest – male or female, practitioner, judge, head of chambers, clerk or other colleague.
The event is free, but registration is essential. To confirm your attendance, please contact Maria Aristidou at [email protected] or ring on 020 7427 4816 with details of your name, profession, place of work, and if you are a MT member. Please provide the same details for your guest.
Masters Course in Applied Criminology, Penology and Management
The Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge, offers a two-year part-time Masters Course in Applied Criminology, Penology and Management, which is highly suitable for criminal barristers interested in broad professional development. Next year’s course begins in March 2012. Further details, including course fees and dates, and testimonials from former students, can be found here: www.crim.cam.ac.uk/courses/penology/
MENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH PROJECT – LAWYERS NEEDED
A criminologist at Cambridge University is looking for volunteers to participate in a study seeking to examine lawyers’ experiences of working with clients with mental disorders. Participants would discuss their experiences with the researcher over the course of an hour’s interview taking place between the 19th of February and the 10th of March this year. This is an opportunity to communicate your views on the realities of working with clients with mental disorders: research of this kind is very rarely attempted and is important in ensuring that debates about changing law and procedure are informed by the people who have to deal with law and procedure every day.
The researcher would like to hear from barristers and solicitors who have either appeared in Crown Court cases in which the making of Hospital Orders was actively considered, or who have appeared before Mental Health Review Tribunals seeking the discharge of such orders. The researcher hopes to interview practitioners of varying experience – from those who specialise in this work to those who deal with one or two cases a year – and varying seniority – from trainees/pupils to senior practitioners. If you are interested in taking part in this research, or if you would like more information, please email [email protected] with your name, the type of tribunal before which you usually appear (Crown Court or MHRT), the number of years of post-qualification experience you have, and the dates on which you are free between 19.02.12 and 10.03.12.
Interviews can be conducted in Cambridge or central London. There is some flexibility over dates and times so please contact the researcher if you would like to participate and are available for interview at around this time. Participants’ on-going duties of confidentiality to clients would be respected, and only generalised information is sought. All participants who wish to receive a copy of the research findings will be sent a copy once the entirety of the study has been completed in July.
Invite for CBA members to Inquest Law conference
Wednesday 28 March 2012
Central London
A discount to all CBA Members is available
For further information on the Inquest Law conference click here
ECBA Spring Conference
Defence Rights in Europe
27 & 28 April 2012 –
Geneva
For further information on the ECBA Spring Conference click here
The Health & Safety Lawyers Association
Manchester Event – 3 presentations – each approximately 30 minutes, Followed by drinks reception
DWF LLP, 1 Scott Place, 2 Hardman Street, Manchester M3 3AA
Tuesday 8th May 2012
For further information on the Health & Safety Lawyers Association click here
The 5th ICAC Symposium – Registration
Fighting Corruption in a Changing World
May 2012
Hong Kong
For further information on the 5th ICAC Symposium click here
Amicus Events
Assisting lawyers for justice on death row
US Death Penalty Training
Spring 2012 – London
Friday 16 (evening), Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 March 2012
Saturday 31 March and Sunday 1 April 2012
For further information on the Amicus events click here
Other
Event on Show Trials with Martti Koskenniemi and Jacques Verges (aka The Terror’s Advocate)
It is a debate with Martti Koskenniemi, the distinguished Finnish jurist, and Jacques Verges, also known as “The Terror’s Advocate” (because of his notorious list of clients, see: http://www.filmsdulosange.fr/terrorsadvocate/index.html)
The event is entitled “International Justice: Between Impunity and Show Trials” and will use as a springboard for the discussion the upcoming cases against Saif Gaddafi (Libya) and Laurent Gbagbo (Ivory Coast). I would greatly appreciate it if you could circulate the poster and this information among your mailing lists and encourage those who are interested to register on the website.
We purposefully scheduled the event for a Friday evening, the 3rd of February, with a reception at 5:30pm, and start of the debate at 6:30pm (so that there is space and time to come after work or travel into London if need be).