S12E06 - The Results Are In...

The cake and bourbon show is upon us again.  Our 72nd episode can be heard right here.

In this week's show, we take a look at Sir Bill Jeffrey's review of independent criminal advocacy in England and Wales.  It may be reopening an old front in the war between barristers and HCAs but the conclusions give considerable grounds for taking stock of the effects of all the reforms over the last 10 years.  They also present a potentially chilling view of the future for anyone who fears change.  Find the full report in the links below - along with the responses by the Bar Council and Law Society.

The Land Registry might be next in terms of selling the family silver - at the very least, there are problems with the reform plans for the Keepers of the Plans.

A pretty important costs case which confirms that the CPS and police cannot just blame each other to avoid costs orders and, more importantly, SNAFU is not a defence and neither is simple mistake.  You're going to want to bookmark this one.  The link is polite.

We also take a quick scoot the rest of this week's legal news and a couple of other cases.  Take a listen and find the links below.

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LINKS:

The review of independent criminal advocacy in England and Wales by Sir Bill Jeffrey has been published.
http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/about/jeffrey-review/jeffrey-review-criminal-advocacy.pdf
Bar Council response: http://www.barcouncil.org.uk/media-centre/news-and-press-releases/2014/may/bar-council-to-consider-jeffrey-report-into-criminal-advocacy
Law Society response: http://www.lawsociety.org.uk/news/press-releases/law-society-responds-to-jeffrey-report-on-criminal-advocacy/

Land Registry
http://www.lawgazette.co.uk/practice/legal-action-threat-over-land-registry-plan/5041123.article

R (ex. p. Singh v Ealing Mags and CPS)
http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Admin/2014/1443.html

4 in 10 lawyers suggest you look elsewhere for a career… but who was asked?
http://www.lawgazette.co.uk/practice/dont-choose-law-as-career-say-4-in-10-lawyers/5041120.article 

Biometric data and crime report case:
http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2014/585.html

Prison Governors’ Association say it’s getting to “tipping point” as Grayling carries on regardless.
http://www.politics.co.uk/news/2014/05/07/prison-governors-grayling-s-regime-is-driving-us-to-tipping

Apple v Samsung - the results are in.  Kinda:
http://www.claimsjournal.com/news/national/2014/05/05/248430.htm
http://bgr.com/2014/04/23/2014-apple-vs-samsung-lawsuit-google/


Johnny Foreigner to be denied legal aid by Lord Chancellor - but is he relying on nonsense figures?  Never!  (But even the press can’t decide if it’s £3m or £10m):
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/10812723/No-more-legal-aid-for-foreigners-to-sue-MoD-says-Chris-Grayling.html
Or a more balanced piece from the Daily Mail (!?!?)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2621672/War-crimes-lawyers-specialise-suing-serving-soliders-received-10MILLION-legal-aid-three-years.html

AND FINALLY…
A bit of fun: Personal Injury and the ambulance-chasers of yesteryear.  Aviva’s archives of claims reveal that we were a compo-culture country long before the Yanks got involved!
http://injuryclaimsnationwide.co.uk/article/history-of-injury-claim?src=tab

That’s a wrap for series 12

S12E04 - All Change! No Change!

On this week's show, which you can listen to by clicking these very words, Ben and Kirstin talk their way through the so-called "revolution" in the family courts.

It is something of an oddity that reforms that actually do very little in terms of changing the status quo and, instead, assume that lawyers have been doing it wrong for all of this time, should be heralded as a "revolution" by a political judge.  Check out the government hype in the links below.

Not content with having a pop at the President of the Family Division's self-congratulation, Ben finds the High Court utterly objectionable as it gives a litigant in person a raw deal and seems to object to justice being done.

Knife crime guidelines get the sharp tongue of Kirstin as we celebrate another Court of Appeal decision that is a little lacking in purpose.

In addition, we have a little look at the cost of getting judicial review wrong - or rather, not turning to the silver bullet that is ADR.

Yes, you may be able to tell that we are feeling more than a little snarky this week.  It might pass.  It might not.

Links:

Law students in divorce courts and putting the children first.
Sir James Munby’s Oscar Speech: http://flba.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/2014view11-2.doc.docx
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2610014/Law-students-drafted-help-resolve-divorce-cases-shake-family-justice-system.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/04/23/law-studentstrusted-counselling-divorcing-couples_n_5197804.html
http://www.adjacentgovernment.co.uk/local-government-news/family-justice-reforms-put-childrens-need-first/
http://www.tayloremmet.co.uk/blogs/new-family-court/
THINK OF THE CHILDREN (or “How to use children to push a government austerity agenda" video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XA99gui758I
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/217343/family-justice-review-final-report.pdf

Knife crime guidance.
http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Crim/2014/747.html

The cost of getting it wrong: http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Admin/2014/11l97.html

Medical excuses and litigants in person getting steamrollered.
http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Admin/2012/332.html

S11E06 - Between The Rock and a Hard Place

Listen to this week's show here.

On this week's show, John Cooper QC joins our roving reporter, Keith Jones in Gibraltar to talk about the law and the Bar in one of Britain's far-flung outposts.

A little closer to home, we look at what happens when you cough to something whilst in custody and when that sort of confession will not be allowed in to evidence.

We take a glance over fracking near Northpod Towers and celebs on trial near our local cobbles.

Also, a look at sentencing for assisting a suicide by buying the petrol used.  The rather grim case of R v Howe [2014] gets a once-over.

The links are below.  Enjoy UKCLB Podcast for the next six weeks and we'll see you on the other side of that.

You can listen to show by clicking right here but, of course, we'd prefer that you subscribed on iTunes or via Google Play Store or via any good podcatcher app on your phone/tablet.  Ben from Northpod Law particularly recommends this one for Android and iOS.You can also find us on Stitcher and soon on TuneIn.


Beeres v CPS West Midlands [2014] EWHC 283 Admin
R v Howe [2014] EWCA Crim 114
R (Purdy) v DPP [2010] 1 Cr App R 1