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This article is a clarion call to all RASSO (Rape and Serious Sexual Offences) counsel/potential RASSO counsel. It honours those who continue to accept RASSO work in these tough times, invites those who have stopped undertaking it to reconsider, and encourages those who have an interest in the area to take up the gauntlet.
The observation in The Times Crime and Justice Commission Report into the state of the criminal justice system (CJS) that ‘every part of the system is in crisis’ is sobering. It is important to acknowledge this day-to-day reality for those who work within the CJS, and to applaud them for continuing to fight for justice in such inhospitable environs.
That the CJS is on its knees is not news. Due to decades of underfunding and mismanagement, catastrophic cracks have emerged:
So, why on earth should the benefits of RASSO work be trumpeted in such an adverse climate…? Because, despite all the drawbacks, this work is monumentally important, and it can still form a rewarding and intellectually stimulating area of practice for those who are passionate about access to justice and want to make a difference.
Robustly and fairly prosecuting RASSO cases upholds the rights of complainants and witnesses. It gives people whose lives have been grossly violated in the most intimate way the opportunity to feel heard, and to have tremendously traumatic experiences validated. When defendants in RASSO cases are convicted, it can enable survivors of sexual abuse to take one step closer to rebuilding their lives and integrating horrific trauma.
Conversely, by fearlessly defending in RASSO cases, we represent people who are unable to advocate for themselves, whose lives have been turned upside down. Our assistance can make the difference in allowing people who have been falsely accused of the most heinous and deplorable crimes to come home to their friends and families, enabling them to leave a crippling existential limbo and return to the full-time job of living.
RASSO work operates at the cutting edge of the law:
RASSO work provides advocates with a stepping stone to take their trial expertise to the next level: increasing their awareness of fundamental, sometimes overlapping, legal frameworks, evolving their eye for detail and overall strategy/case presentation, developing finely attuned witness handling skills, and an ability to carefully manage the emotional environment in court, given that such cases often feature the most traumatised of people.
With the enhanced skillset the work provides, and the fact that RASSO practitioners frequently deal with serious, high-profile cases, undertaking such work has increasingly become a respected component of the portfolio of any aspiring applicant for silk or the bench. Recently, 79% of successful King’s Counsel applicants who were CPS advocate panel members were RASSO Panel members, as were 87% of those who moved into judicial office.
If you are interested and not yet on the CPS RASSO list, there has never been a better time to apply. Firstly, because there is a surplus of high-quality work and secondly, due to the dearth of RASSO prosecutors, the entry requirements onto the list have, for the time being, been relaxed.
For the first time, the CPS has opened the door to experienced Level 2 General Crime List Members, allowing them to apply to the RASSO list via the Advocate Panel Portal.
Meanwhile, from 8 August 2024, for an initial period of 12 months, Level 3 and 4 prosecutors have been eligible to join the RASSO List without completing the formal written application.
Thus, if you are a CPS Level 3 (or 4) advocate, you only need to:
The CJS owes a major debt of gratitude to all existing RASSO lawyers, prosecution and defence – you work tirelessly, in ferociously challenging circumstances, to deliver justice for people who have had their intimate lives dissected and pulled apart.
If you have stopped undertaking RASSO work, you may wish to reflect on what brought you to this work in the beginning, what unfolded for you as you undertook it (including your achievements and challenges), how things are for you now given the absence of such work and whether there is any merit in returning to it.
If you have not entered this arena of work before, and you have the necessary interest and skills, you are invited to take the plunge and go for it. If you need support, look for it in the right places and you will find it. Your CJS needs you.
Timothy Akers practises in crime, professional discipline and military law from Pump Court Chambers. He sits as a Clerk to the Disciplinary Tribunal of CILEx and a Legal Adviser to the GOC. He is a qualified psychotherapist, Western Circuit Advocacy Trainer and a Mentor for Gray’s Inn.
This article is a clarion call to all RASSO (Rape and Serious Sexual Offences) counsel/potential RASSO counsel. It honours those who continue to accept RASSO work in these tough times, invites those who have stopped undertaking it to reconsider, and encourages those who have an interest in the area to take up the gauntlet.
The observation in The Times Crime and Justice Commission Report into the state of the criminal justice system (CJS) that ‘every part of the system is in crisis’ is sobering. It is important to acknowledge this day-to-day reality for those who work within the CJS, and to applaud them for continuing to fight for justice in such inhospitable environs.
That the CJS is on its knees is not news. Due to decades of underfunding and mismanagement, catastrophic cracks have emerged:
So, why on earth should the benefits of RASSO work be trumpeted in such an adverse climate…? Because, despite all the drawbacks, this work is monumentally important, and it can still form a rewarding and intellectually stimulating area of practice for those who are passionate about access to justice and want to make a difference.
Robustly and fairly prosecuting RASSO cases upholds the rights of complainants and witnesses. It gives people whose lives have been grossly violated in the most intimate way the opportunity to feel heard, and to have tremendously traumatic experiences validated. When defendants in RASSO cases are convicted, it can enable survivors of sexual abuse to take one step closer to rebuilding their lives and integrating horrific trauma.
Conversely, by fearlessly defending in RASSO cases, we represent people who are unable to advocate for themselves, whose lives have been turned upside down. Our assistance can make the difference in allowing people who have been falsely accused of the most heinous and deplorable crimes to come home to their friends and families, enabling them to leave a crippling existential limbo and return to the full-time job of living.
RASSO work operates at the cutting edge of the law:
RASSO work provides advocates with a stepping stone to take their trial expertise to the next level: increasing their awareness of fundamental, sometimes overlapping, legal frameworks, evolving their eye for detail and overall strategy/case presentation, developing finely attuned witness handling skills, and an ability to carefully manage the emotional environment in court, given that such cases often feature the most traumatised of people.
With the enhanced skillset the work provides, and the fact that RASSO practitioners frequently deal with serious, high-profile cases, undertaking such work has increasingly become a respected component of the portfolio of any aspiring applicant for silk or the bench. Recently, 79% of successful King’s Counsel applicants who were CPS advocate panel members were RASSO Panel members, as were 87% of those who moved into judicial office.
If you are interested and not yet on the CPS RASSO list, there has never been a better time to apply. Firstly, because there is a surplus of high-quality work and secondly, due to the dearth of RASSO prosecutors, the entry requirements onto the list have, for the time being, been relaxed.
For the first time, the CPS has opened the door to experienced Level 2 General Crime List Members, allowing them to apply to the RASSO list via the Advocate Panel Portal.
Meanwhile, from 8 August 2024, for an initial period of 12 months, Level 3 and 4 prosecutors have been eligible to join the RASSO List without completing the formal written application.
Thus, if you are a CPS Level 3 (or 4) advocate, you only need to:
The CJS owes a major debt of gratitude to all existing RASSO lawyers, prosecution and defence – you work tirelessly, in ferociously challenging circumstances, to deliver justice for people who have had their intimate lives dissected and pulled apart.
If you have stopped undertaking RASSO work, you may wish to reflect on what brought you to this work in the beginning, what unfolded for you as you undertook it (including your achievements and challenges), how things are for you now given the absence of such work and whether there is any merit in returning to it.
If you have not entered this arena of work before, and you have the necessary interest and skills, you are invited to take the plunge and go for it. If you need support, look for it in the right places and you will find it. Your CJS needs you.
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