Criminal

criminal law

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has improved its prosecution rates in violent offences against women and girls.
In the four years since 2006-07, the number of prosecutions rose 38 per cent from just under 69,000 to 95,000 and the level of convictions was maintained, according to its Violence against Women and Girls Crime Report for 2010-11.

The BSB engaged with barristers across England and Wales in November, specifically to discuss the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (‘QASA’ or ‘the Scheme’).

Criminal

Two separate judicial reviews have been launched against the Ministry of Justice in response to plans within the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill 2010-2011 to cut legal aid.

criminal

Criminal barristers face “tough times” ahead, the new chair of the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) has said. Max Hill QC, of 18 Red Lion Court, said his mission would be to “to raise our chins from the floor”.

criminal

New proposals have been announced regarding sentencing for multiple offences and mode of trial decisions.

Criminal

In two recent judgments, the Court of Appeal quashed convictions because of the judge’s behaviour during the case. Both matters took place at Kingston on Thames Crown Court and within four weeks of one another, in October and November 2010.

criminal

The Bar Council has been working to resolve delays in the payment of Crown court legal aid fees and travel expenses to criminal law barristers by the Legal Services Commission (LSC).

A media storm followed the conviction of Levi Bellfield for the murder of Milly Dowler. Ali Naseem Bajwa QC examines the fallout from the case

The medieval practice of determining guilt or innocence by subjecting the accused to trial by ordeal has happily long since passed. However, following the conviction of Levi Bellfield for the murder of Milly Dowler, the victim’s family described their experience of the trial as an ordeal and said that they had paid “too high a price” for the conviction. In the ensuing media and, inevitable, political storm the Criminal Justice System came in for intense criticism, much of it centred on a claim that the trial process is balanced unfairly in favour of the rights of the accused over the rights of victims of crime and witnesses. 

Criminal

Unfair reporting in a murder investigation could deter witnesses from stepping forward or even jeopardise a future prosecution against someone else, the Lord Chief Justice has said.

Khawar Qureshi QC sets out the law behind the military intervention in Libya and examines its legality

Libya is no stranger to UN sanctions or bombing by NATO Member State warplanes.

On 15 April 1986, in purported retaliation for alleged involvement of the Libyan regime in terrorist attacks, US planes dropped bombs on Libyan territory.
From 1993 to 2003, Libya was subjected to UN Security Council Resolution based economic sanctions as a result of alleged involvement in the destruction of Pan Am Flight 103 (the Lockerbie bombing).