News & Events: Criminal
Technology – A lawyer’s Best Frenemy?
Following the covid-19 outbreak, courts have been forced into an alternative way of working. With the country in lockdown and people ordered by the government to work at home, the courts along with businesses have been transferred into the digital realm. While jury trials have had to be postponed, with only existing cases at the […]
Siân Beaven joins Pump Court Chambers
We are delighted to announce that Siân Beaven has joined Chambers, with immediate effect. Siân is a specialist criminal practitioner, she has developed a practice prosecuting and defending in all areas of general crime. Siân also accepts instructions in professional disciplinary matters, appearing regularly before the NMC on behalf of registrants. She has also developed a practice in prison law, […]
Judge alone trials in the face of COVID-19
If we had to adapt for Covid-19, could it work having Judge alone Crown Court trials, or jury trials with less than 12 peers? Let me start by saying I am not advocating for a system in England and Wales where there is no jury or a jury of less than 12 peers. I personally […]
Dishonesty: Barton & Booth v The Queen
CASE SUMMARY: Barton & Booth-v-The Queen [2020] EWCA Crim 575. The Court of Appeal considers whether the new definition of ‘dishonesty’ given by the Supreme Court in the case of Ivey v Genting Casinos (UK) (trading as Cockfords Club) [2017] UKSC 67 applies in criminal cases. This was an appeal against conviction brought on various grounds, primarily […]
Remote hearings and witness evidence
Remote hearings come with particular difficulties. One obvious difficulty is that the parties cannot see each other as well as they might in the courtroom. But how much of a problem is this? If the demeanour of witnesses (or indeed parties) is relevant to an issue to be decided by the Court, then restrictions on […]
Unexplained Wealth Orders: The Weapon Against Dirty Money
Unexplained Wealth Orders: The Weapon Against Dirty Money – National Crime Agency -v- Baker & Others [2020] EWHC 822 (Admin) What is an Unexplained Wealth Order? Unexplained Wealth Orders (UWO’s) were introduced into law through section 1 of the Criminal Finances Act 2017 by inserting section 362A to I into Part 8 of the Proceeds […]
The Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) Regulations 2020
A Practical Guide to The Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) Regulations 2020 Justin Gau introduces us to The Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) Regulations 2020. The regulations were introduced as a response to the serious and imminent threat to public health posed by the Coronavirus. In accordance with section 45R of the Public Health (Control of Disease) […]
HMCTS Guidance – Criminal Courts
The below is summary of the guidance published by HM Courts & Tribunal Service in respect of Criminal Courts and Proceedings on Monday 27th April 2020. There are no Jury trials currently underway Crown Courts are dealing with a range of work, much of which is being done remotely. This includes sentencing hearings and all […]
Lucy’s Law
On Monday 6 April 2020, the Government brought into force new legislation in England to ban the commercial third-party sale of puppies and kittens, under six months old, by anyone other than a registered breeder. The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 provided for the licensing of persons in England to […]
Tim Akers successfully secures a reduction of sentence in the Court of Appeal
Tim Akers recently won an appeal at the Court of Appeal against the sentence imposed on a vulnerable client with a co-morbid diagnosis of Schizoid Personality Disorder and Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Notwithstanding that permission to appeal had been refused by the Single Judge on the basis that the appeal was “not arguable”, the application was […]
Justin Gau secures acquittal in gang rape allegation
At 04.00 at the end of July last year C, a woman living in Bethnal Green, telephoned the Police claiming that she had ben orally and vaginally raped by two men of Mediterranean background who had attacked her as she tried to escape their advances in a park. An ABE interview took place later that […]
Lessons to be learned from the Marie Dinou case
Marie Dinou, the woman from York convicted of a non-existent coronavirus offence after being found “loitering between platforms” at Newcastle railway station was lucky to be charged with something newsworthy. Had hers been a mundane motoring charge it is highly unlikely that anyone would have spotted that her treatment by the police and the justice […]
