Weekly Round Up 12.04.12
CBA News:
Chairmans Update:
Max is on a very well deserved holiday and I have been left holding the fort. Fortunately, the Government have not introduced or even threatened further measures calculated to destroy the Bar during the Easter break and so there is little to report.
Spring Conference
A final reminder of the Spring Conference taking place on Saturday 21st April in Newcastle, we urge you to attend. There is an excellent line up of speakers including Lord Justice Hooper, Professor David Ormerod, His Honour Judge Browne QC to name but a few. A full program and booking form available here or attached.
Survey
We thank again those who took the time to complete the survey. The results were published last week but for those who missed it you can access it here. We have not yet published the very many comments made by you on the various topics, which we are in the process of collating. This information will be published shortly. We will be calling a Heads of Chambers meeting in early May to progress the results of the survey.
One practitioner stated that the CBA were in favour of the cuts and would not take any action over them; this statement could not be further from the truth. We would not conduct a survey in the first place if that were the case. Max and I have travelled around the country seeking the views of those we represent, so if anyone wants to know our stance on any issue you have only to ask. For years the Bar has managed to cut itself to ribbons by relying on uncertain gossip, a time has come for this to stop, our future depends on us having a strong cohesive approach and a single voice. You can contact me any time my details are as follows:
Email:[email protected]
Tel: 07951 157 030.
LSC Figures
The holiday period is traditionally a time when Government publishes those reports it has too but would rather no one read, hence the recent publication of the LSC’s Volume and Value figures – Report for Crime Higher and Crime Lower. Savings to the taxpayer in respect of both Crime Higher (Crown Court) and Crime Lower (Police Station Investigations and Magistrates Courts) on the face of it are enormous. By way of highlight:
Investigations
- 2010/11 Investigations – volume is at its lowest level for 10 years.
- 2010/11 Investigations – expenditure is lower than 2003/4 levels (which is staggering considering the figures take no account of inflation).
- 2011/12 Investigations – figures to December 2011 seem to suggest a further reduction in both volume and expenditure of around 10% on the previous year.
Proceedings
- 2010/11 Proceedings – volume is at an all time low.
- 2010/11 Proceedings – value of claims is £227 million compared with the sum of £322 million in 2002/3. Note that the 2003 figure would be substantially higher if adjusted to reflect inflation / changes to the cost of living.
- 2011/12 Proceedings – figures to December 2011 suggest a further reduction in the volume of cases before the Magistrates Court of 10% with an even greater amount saved.
Total Crime Lower
- Total Crime Lower spend in 2010/11 is £431 million and this is over £70 million less than the spend in 2002/3.
Crime Lower SMP’s
- SMP’s for Crime Lower in the current year are in the region of £284 million for the first 10 months. This can be extrapolated to about £350 million for the year. SMP’S for the year 2009/10 were £460 million.
Total Crime Higher
- Crime Higher figures are not dealt with in great detail in the report. Figures to December 2011 are available, i.e. the first three quarters of the financial year 2011/12. Crime Higher in the year 2009/10 stood at £733 million; for 2010/11 it had reduced to £702 million.
- For the year 2011/12 at the three quarter point, it stood at £489 million which can be extrapolated to approximately £650 million; a saving of £50 million on last year in cash terms and an even bigger saving in real terms.
It needs to be stressed that the savings that have been made are as a result of reduced volumes and cuts imposed by the Ministry of Justice under Jack Straw. The additional cuts imposed by the Coalition under Ken Clarke have yet to take effect.
Naturally what these figures do not reflect is the cost to the tax payer of the waste of court time, which is now endemic within the court system as a result of the cuts. It costs £110 per minute to run a court room. Nor of course does it reflect how many victims of crime have been let down by their crime either not being properly investigated, or prosecuted.
Michael Turner QC
Vice-Chair
Health Support and Advice for the Bar – Law Care:
LawCare provides an independent and confidential service which assists members of the Law Societies of England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland and the Isle of Man; the Institute of Legal Executives; the Bar Councils of England and Wales, the Republic of Ireland, and Northern Ireland; the Faculty of Advocates in Scotland; the Department of Justice; the Institute of Barristers Clerks; and the National Association of Paralegals. This is a confidential advisory service to help lawyers, their immediate families and their support staff to deal with the health issues and related emotional difficulties that can result from a stressful career as a lawyer, or working with lawyers. LawCare is there to support and assist you, too.
LawCare offers you the opportunity to discuss problems that are interfering with, or have the potential to interfere with, your work performance and / or your family life and to seek to help in resolving these problems.
Through LawCare, help is available to those who are suffering from stress and /or depression, or who have alcohol, drug or other dependency concerns, or eating disorders.
There is a helpline which is open 365 days a year:-
9am – 7.30pm, Monday to Friday
10am – 4pm Saturday, Sunday and UK Bank Holidays
0800 018 4299
Further details can be found on the website here
Follow the chairman on twitter
https://twitter.com/#!/TheCriminalBar
CBA Events:
The CBA Spring Conference 2012
This year’s CBA Spring Conference will take place on Saturday 21st April 2012. It is being held on the North Eastern circuit at Northumbria University in Newcastle. Speakers include Lord Justice Hooper, Penny Barrett (Criminal Cases Review Commissioner), Michael Tuner QC and Gareth Underhill on the topic of appellate advocacy and CCRC referrals, Professor David Ormerod on a roundup of the legal year, His Honour Judge Nicholas Browne QC and Patricia Lynch QC on serious sexual offences and Rudi Fortson QC on confiscation and sentencing in drug offences. It is expected to bring 6 CPD hours.
Prices remain the same as last year at £95 for members over 7 years call, £60 for members under 7 years call and £40 for pupils. Please book by completing the booking form here and attached and return with your payment to Aaron Dolan.
CBA Annual Dinner
Friday 18th May 2012
Middle Temple Hall, Middle Temple, London
Guest Speaker – The Hon Mr Justice Calvert-Smith
For further information and to book please contact Aaron Dolan
Middle Temple Hall holds 300 and there are only 100 places left; booking is advised
2012 Kalisher Scholarship Trust Event
The 2012 Kalisher Scholarship Trust event will be a staged reading of two Agatha Christie plays, ‘Butter in a Lordly Dish’ and ‘Personal Call’. Those hoping to participate include Martin Shaw, Felicity Kendal, Maxine Peake, Ray Fearon, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Mark Farrelly, and will be performed thanks to the generosity of Agatha Christie’s estate and Bill Kenwright Ltd. Set in the world of the 1950s, the plays will be fully miked and promise an evening of laughter, legal intrigue and murder mystery.
The event will be held in Middle Temple Hall, at 6.30pm on Sunday 20th May. Tickets cost £50, and are available now from Middle Temple (0207 427 4800).
All proceeds from the event go toward scholarships for talented students who, without the support provided by the Trust, would be unable to reach the Criminal Bar.
For more information about the Kalisher Scholarship Trust, please go to www.thekalishertrust.org
Half a Century of Crime: A Valedictory Summing Up
A lecture by the Right Honourable Lord Justice Hooper
Inner Temple Hall
Monday 18 June 2012 – 6.30pm
Followed by a Drinks a Reception
The CBA have been allocated 50 places in total to attend the lecture.
If you wish to take this very kind offer up, please be sure that you are able to make the lecture and then book with me, I will then pass the details to the Inn.
Further information can be found here
Other News:
CPS T3 Project
Crimeline update:
You will be aware that the T3 project is gaining momentum, and to that end you may find the following documents of interest. The first is a newly updated FAQ document; this is more recent that the one sent out by many CPS areas only a couple of days ago.
Read it here
Of more interest however is a revised Prison Service Instruction which deals with bringing electronic devices into prison/court cells. This is a very important document and you are advised to read it and circulate widely.
Read it here
Funding changes, designed to better support T3 working take effect from 1 April 2012, read about them here:
Other Events:
South Eastern Circuit Bar Mess Foundation Advanced International Advocacy Course
(Bank holiday) Monday 27 August until Saturday 1 September
Keble College, Oxford
The application form is now available to download: www.southeastcircuit.org.uk/education/keble-course
Criminal Appeal Lawyers Association Conference
Miscarriage of Justice, who cares?
Saturday, April 21st, 2012
10 am to 4pm
MIC Hotel and Conference Centre, 81-103 Euston Street, London, NW1 2EZ
10 am to 4pm
Further information and booking procedures can be found here
Exploitation of Prostitution: the Challenges for the Criminal Justice System
The AWB Committee invites you to attend:
THURSDAY 26 APRIL 2012
6.00pm – 7.30PM
Held at the conference suite at CPS HQ, Rose Court, 2 Southwark Bridge, London SE1 9HS
Further information and booking procedures can be found here
The Central London Bar Mess Farewell Dinner for HH Geoffrey Rivlin QC
Thursday 26 April, 7:15pm for 7:45pm, at the Cavalry and Guards Club, London
Champagne reception followed by dinner
Black tie
Tickets are £70 please contact Dickon Reid: [email protected]
UIA – Training session, Paris (France)
April 26 & 27, 2012
Further information and booking procedures can be found here
ECBA Spring Conference
Defence Rights in Europe
27 & 28 April 2012 –
Geneva
Further information can be found 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
Further information can be found here
Children in the Criminal Justice System: What next?
Wednesday 16 May 2012, 6pm – 7.30pm
Doughty Street Chambers, 54 Doughty Street, London WC1N 2LS
Further information can be found here
The 5th ICAC Symposium – Registration
Fighting Corruption in a Changing World
May 2012
Hong Kong
Further details can be found here
An Evening of Sacred Music
Temple Church
Wednesday 30th May 2012
7pm
Tickets £25
You can buy tickets by emailing [email protected] or through Temple Church box office: www.templemusic.org
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