Monthly Archives: October 2018
Justice Week is a new initiative setup by the three legal professional bodies; the Law Society, the Bar Council and the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx).
The purpose of the week is to boost the profile of justice and the rule of law, helping to place them at the centre stage of public and political debate.
With many parts of the system at breaking point, now is the time to make a strong and clear case for why they are so fundamental to our society, economy and democracy.
Justice Week will launch a week-long programme of research, public events, and digital content, bringing together media, politicians, industry, the third sector and the general public.
Justice Week aims to:
- promote the value of justice and the rule of law to audiences beyond the legal community to inspire and activate those who have not been a part of conversations on justice or listened to by decision-makers
- build public support for core campaigns on access to justice and the rule of law
- increase public understanding of the role of government in the administration of justice and how the legal profession supports the justice system.
- demonstrate to decision-makers that the impact of justice policy is widely felt and understood, and that a wide range of communities and constituents can articulate their concerns and demands
- highlight the work undertaken every day by individual legal practitioners – particularly that work which is undertaken pro bono – to improve access to justice and the rule of law
When is it Justice Week taking place?
In 2018, Justice Week will run between Monday 29 October and Friday 2 November.
Pro Bono
National Pro Bono Week (NPBW) was conceived in 2001 by the then Attorney General and the Attorney General’s Committee to recognise the contribution that legal professionals make, free-of-charge, to people and organisations in need of legal advice and representation who would otherwise be unable to afford it. It was run and funded by the three professional bodies.
Building on the achievements of National Pro Bono Week, Justice Week will celebrate the pro bono work of legal professionals and support, guide and encourage those who or are looking to undertake pro bono work for the first time.
The Law Society, Bar Council and CILEx continue to support the pro bono sector with:
- Guide to pro bono support
- Funding for events
- Providing publicity on initiatives and areas of concern
- Providing events and support during Global Pro Bono Week
What can we do?
Richard Miller, head of the Justice Team at the Law Centre, commented:
“If we want to win the arguments about justice, we have to get smarter at explaining to people what it means in relation to their day to day lives, and why they should care as deeply as we do that access to justice in this country is under threat, as Supreme Court Justice Lord Wilson said in September 2018.
There is no one approach that will engage people. But there are reasons why people, whatever drives them, should care about access to justice.”
We are always trying to increase the awareness of the services provided by this firm and others within the criminal justice system.
For example, we have published a series of posts about the advantages of taking advantage of free and independent legal advice at the police station.
You can read ten good reasons to do so here.
Our posts try to explain the ingredients of offences and any defences that might be available,
For example, you can read about drug driving offences here.
The articles also illustrate the value that a solicitor can bring in the preparation and presentation of a case:
Here are some thoughts on expressions of regret and remorse in mitigation.
Hopefully articles such as this can make small changes over time in the public perception of criminal legal aid lawyers.
Discuss your case with a solicitor specialising in crime
If you know that the police wish to speak to you, or have been interviewed, or face court proceedings, then please speak with one of our criminal solicitors.
You can find your nearest offices here.
Alternatively you can use the contact form below.
Contact
Monthly Archives: October 2018
Chesterfield crime solicitor Denney Lau has been successful in securing his place in the 2019 London marathon.
His chosen cause is the Papworth Hospital Charity. This organisation sets out its aims thus:
“As a charity, our purpose is to enhance patient experience which in turn reflects the ethos of Royal Papworth Hospital and its staff, who work tirelessly to give patients the best quality of care. To ensure this standard of care continues to be offered, the Charity looks to not only support current services and care for patients but also proactively look to the future and support innovations that will help to tackle the growing prevalence of cardiothoracic diseases and conditions, thus in turn helping the local and in some cases national healthcare economy.”
Denney’s aim is to raise enough money for a pace maker that will make a real difference to the life of the recipient.
Personal motivation for taking on the challenge
Denney will be taking his position at the start of the 2019 London Marathon in memory of his father Tom Lau who passed away 10 years ago.
His father had suffered a major heart attack and was rushed to his local hospital before being rushed to the Papworth specialist hospital.
The hospital never gave up on the treatment of Denney’s dad and was able to prolong his life by fitting a secondary external artificial heart and was able to spend the following months at home with family.
Denney says that as a result of this treatment:
“I was able to make many happy memories with my father, including introducing him to my now wife, attending our engagement party and he saw me qualify as a solicitor, and in our new home.”
Unfortunately, the family knew without a transplant his dad was on borrowed time, and his heart eventually gave out a year later.
At the time of his father’s death, Denney is the first to admit that he himself was overweight and unfit. He has been able to turn his grief into a positive motivation to become fit and start running. This London Marathon will be the culmination of that program.
Running the 2019 London Marathon
Denney says this about his motivation to raise money while running the 2019 London Marathon:
“I really hope that we can raise enough together to literally save one person’s life, or even to extend someone’s life even for a short period so happy memories can be made.”
You can find the link to Denney’s Just Giving page here. Please give generously to a great cause.
Monthly Archives: October 2018
Since the change in the rules relating to police bail a postal requisition has, in many cases, replaced a formal police charge in bringing a defendant to court.
What is a postal requisition?
A postal requisition is a summons to court, telling a defendant what they have been charged with. It will also contain the date and time that you must attend a particular Magistrates’ Court.
They will be used in cases where the police do not seek bail conditions. They will be appropriate where there is no language or communication problems and there is a known fixed address for the defendant.
When will I receive one?
Although a postal requisition will be used in motoring offences in a similar way that a summons would have been issued, they are also used for a wide range of criminal offences including the most serious.
As a result, if you have been interviewed by the police as either a volunteer or while under arrest and been released under investigation the first thing you hear about the outcome of the investigation might be the postal requisition.
Unfortunately, the timing of the requisition will be hard to predict. It could be received within weeks of a police interview, or months afterwards.
What happens if I don’t attend court?
If you fail to attend court in answer to the postal requisition then it is likely that a warrant without bail will be issued for your immediate arrest. This means that the police will arrest and detain you at a police station in order to bring you before the next available sitting Magistrates’ Court. This could be on a Saturday or Bank Holiday and you could spend many hours in custody.
Bearing in mind the possible delay in sending the requisition it is extremely important that you check your post regularly and keep the police informed of any change of address to avoid an unnecessary arrest.
If we have provided you with free and independent legal advice in your police interview then we will make regular contact with the police to ensure that you know what is happening with the investigation. We will be able to keep the police informed on your behalf of any changes of address. We will also be able to tell you when the investigation has been concluded and if you are likely to have to go to court.
Even if we have not advised you in interview, please feel free to contact us afterwards. We will be able to advise you on the likelihood of further interviews, and provide the same service to you as we would to those who we represented in interview.
What should I do if I receive a postal requisition?
Hopefully you will have already taken advantage of our free and independent legal advice at the police station so in those circumstances simply contact the lawyer at this firm who dealt with your case.
We will be able to provide you with advice as to the availability of criminal legal aid or discuss private funding with you. We will also be able to make a request for the papers in your case prior to the first hearing and begin to take instructions and advise you as to plea.
This will ensure that you have representation at this all important first hearing and will have investigated any defence that you might wish to put forward.
If you did not have representation in interview or this was from a different solicitor, then we will still be more than happy to receive your instructions in your case. Please contact your nearest office when you receive the postal requisition.
Alternatively you can use the contact form below:
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