Weekly Round Up – 17.02.12
CBA News:
Chairman’s Update:
Thank you to all who continue to contact me concerning CPS Panels appeals. I discuss any points of principle with the other Bar leaders, and do my best to respond to individual questions whenever asked. Near miss applications are always worth reconsideration on appeal. Good luck.
The Ebsworth lecture given by Moses LJ on Monday evening has rightly focussed minds on the proper purpose for regulation of advocacy. The Law Society leapt to support what they thought was an argument opposing judicial evaluation of advocates appearing in the Crown Court. But was it? For the Bar, the Inns have a pivotal role to play in maintaining our own standard of excellence. But the public interest in fit for purpose advocacy by all surely demands that solicitor advocates step up to the same standard if they wish to conduct serious jury trials. That is where the judiciary come in, as non partisan regulators of every case in the Crown Court. We need to get this right. It will take time.
The ORC Bar Standards Board questionnaire is running online. It asks some of the right questions. Our own CBA Survey will commence online next week, as promised. I hope this will give you the opportunity to say how you feel, at last, not only about QASA but also about the other fundamental issues affecting the criminal Bar in 2012. We spend our professional lives speaking on behalf of others. Let’s speak for ourselves this time.
Have a good weekend,
Max
CPS Electronic Service of Material
Click HERE for a copy of FAQ the CPS have prepared.
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].
CBA NEWS FEED
Criminal Law Week – updates (issue 8)
Key updates from this week’s issue of Criminal Law Week:
Having bladed article in public place – whether the test for the defence of “good reason” under the Criminal Justice Act 1988, s.139, is wholly objective: R. v. Clancy, C.A. (CLW/12/07/5).
Obscene publications – whether publication for the purposes of the Obscene Publications Act 1959 may be to a single person: R. v. G.S., C.A. (CLW/12/07/6).
Dangerous offenders – the Court of Appeal considers the effect of R. v. Smith (Nicholas) on the assessment of dangerousness: R. v. J. (M.) (CLW/12/07/25).
Factual basis of sentence – whether a judge is entitled to sentence on a substantially different basis from that set out in a basis of plea: R. v. Dudley, C.A. (CLW/12/07/7).
Harassment – whether it is permissible for a restraining order to prohibit the bringing of civil proceedings against the person being harassed: R. (Waxman) v. C.P.S., Q.B.D. (CLW/12/07/4).
CBA Events for your Diary:
Date: 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:
BAFTA Screening of Stephen Lawrence Programme
On behalf of Doreen Lawrence and the Stephen Lawrence Trust I should be grateful if you would please support and circulate the screening, details can be found HERE
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 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.)
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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.)
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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).)
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.
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