Category Archives: News

New offences of stalking (in addition to the existing offences of harassment) were introduced by Parliament relatively recently in 2012. The offences are harassment which involves a course of conduct that amounts to stalking.

There are two offences.  These are stalking involving fear of violence and stalking involving serious alarm or distress.

What is stalking?

There is no strict definition, but the legislation lists a number of behaviours associated with stalking:

• following a person
• contacting or attempting to contact a person by any means
• publishing material relating to a person or purporting to come from them
• monitoring a person’s use of the internet, email or communications
• loitering
• interfering with any property in the possession of a person
• watching or spying on a person

The list is not exhaustive.  Nor is behaving in one of these ways automatically stalking.  Context is everything in such offences.

 What must the prosecution prove in a stalking case?

• That there is a course of conduct
• which constitutes harassment, and
• the course of conduct amounts to stalking.

Additionally, for the offence involving fear of violence it must be proven that:

• the conduct causes another to fear that violence will be used against him; and
• which the defendant knows or ought to know will cause another to fear that violence will be used against him.

The test as to whether a suspect “ought to know” these things about their conduct is whether a reasonable person in possession of the same information would think that the course of conduct would cause the other to fear violence.

It is an offence if conduct amounts to stalking and causes another to fear, on at least two occasions, that violence will be used.  Alternatively, it will be an offence if the conduct causes serious alarm or distress and this has a substantial effect on a person’s day to day activities.

This could mean that they have to, for example:

• change a route they normally use
• move home
• change the way they socialise.

It could also mean a change to a person’s physical or mental health.

Are there any defences to stalking?

It is a defence to show –

• the course of conduct was pursued for the purpose of preventing or detecting crime
• the course of conduct was pursued under a rule of law
• that any conduct was reasonable

Additionally, for the offence alleging a fear of violence offence, it will be a defence if the course of conduct was reasonable for the protection of the defendant or another, or for the protection of their or another’s property.

What sentence could I get for stalking?

For the basic offence of stalking the maximum sentence is six months’ imprisonment.

For the offence causing fear of violence or serious alarm or distress the maximum sentence is 10 years imprisonment for an offence on or after 2 April 2017.  The maximum sentence is 5 years for offences committed prior to that date.

A restraining order to protect the victim from further contact can also be imposed.  This could be the case even where a defendant is found not guilty of the offence.

Seek early advice from an expert in criminal law

These are serious allegations.  The law is complex.  As a result, if you are arrested or know that the police wish to speak to you about an offence then make sure you insist on your right to free and independent legal advice.

As experienced defence solicitors we know that there is always another side to the story, let us tell that for you.

The advantages of early advice legal advice can be found here.

If you have already been interviewed or face court proceedings we can still make a real difference to the outcome of your case.  Legal aid may well be available to fund your defence at court.

We have offices across the East Midlands.  You can find your most convenient office here.   Alternatively you can contact us using the form below.

Category Archives: News

We are pleased to announce that Elliott Moulster qualified as a solicitor in April following successful completion of his training contract during his time with us as a trainee solicitor.  He has accepted our offer of employment as an assistant solicitor within our regulatory department, undertaking prosecutions on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive.

Trainee Solicitor, Elliott Moulster, has sat and passed all of the Professional Skills Courses required for him to qualify as a Solicitor.

In order for anyone to qualify as a solicitor, Elliott had to undertake several years of study followed by a rigorous training process that also involved additional studies.

As a minimum, a prospective solicitor has to undertake four years of study – a three year degree followed by the Legal Practice Course.

Two year training contract for a trainee solicitor

This is followed by a period of usually two years working for a firm or organisation within the legal profession known as the training contract.  There are numerous requirements that must be satisfied during a training contract. They include:

• practice in at least three distinct areas of law
• two years’ work experience across these three areas
• experience in key solicitor competencies
• undertaking the Professional Skills Courses, and
• keeping a Professional Development Diary across the two years.

In order to make sure Elliott secured a broad range of legal training, he was seconded to Nottingham Law Centre for a period of his training.  His experiences at the Centre can be found here, here and here.

The Professional Skills Course

The Professional Skills Course involves continued professional development around key areas of solicitor practice. The mandatory courses include:

• advocacy
• client care, and
• financial and business skills.

In addition to this, a trainee solicitor must also undertake a total of 24 hours’ of courses in areas of their choosing.  These elective modules can cover practically any area of law and have the benefit of giving participants a greater understanding of the areas of law in question.

Securing Higher Rights of Audience

For his options, Elliott chose to undertake his Higher Rights of Audience Qualification.  This took up the entirety of the 24 hour additional training.  Higher Rights of Audience are required by any solicitor who wishes to conduct advocacy in Crown Courts, aside from appeals or committals for sentence.

The process for gaining the qualification involves intensive training.  Elliott took part in a four day training course in London.  This taught him the rules of criminal litigation as well as provided training in advocacy techniques.

At the end of the course Elliott had to sit two exams aimed at testing the skills and knowledge that he had developed.  The pass mark for the exams was at least 60%.  They consisted of:

• a two and a half hour written exam based on criminal litigation
• taking part in a 30 minute viva voce.  This is an assessment where answers to questions are given verbally as opposed to in writing ;
• presentation of a 15 minute court application on a legal issue such as bad character or hearsay, and
• the 15 minute cross examination of a prosecution witness who was played by an actor.

Despite some very tricky questions in the exams and a less than co-operative witness on the stand, we are pleased to report that Elliott  passed all of the exams and assessment.

Work experience and careers advice

We hope that this gives an overview of the training involved in becoming a solicitor.  We try and attend schools and colleges to provide careers advice where possible, and offer as much work experience to school and college students that we can.

If you represent a school or college and wish one of us to speak to pupils or students, or if you wish advice or are trying to secure a work experience placement yourself, then please contact us using the form below.

Periodically we will have a vacancy for a trainee solicitor and this will be advertised on our website and publicised through social media so please follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Category Archives: News

From an era before a search warrant, in Entick v Carrington (1765), a case concerning the entry to and searching of premises, the court ruled:

“…if this is law it would be found in our books, but no such law ever existed in this country; our law holds the property of every man so sacred, that no man can set his foot upon his neighbour’s close without his leave.”

Entick v Carrington is probably the earliest case law concerning the law of search and seizure.  It is a legal power since described as a ‘nuclear option’ in the court’s arsenal in the case of R (Mercury Tax Group) v HMRC [2008] EWHC 2721.  But, of course, it is certainly not the last word.  Over the last few years, there has been a substantial body of developing case law designed to ensure that this most potent state intrusion into the lives of individuals and business is exercised lawfully and proportionately.

Why does it matter?

First and foremost, core constitutional principles are at stake.

These include the power of the state to enter private property.  Very often this is done during a dawn raid and with other family members present.  As a result the powers should not be used lightly, particularly during what is normally the very early stages of a criminal investigation.

Because of this, the case of R (Mills) v Sussex Police and Southwark Crown Court [2014] EWHC 2523 (Admin) held that warrants should only be sought as a “last resort and should not be employed where other less draconian powers can achieve the relevant objective”.

The taking of documents, files, computer servers and systems can have a profound reputational impact on businesses when staff see what is happening.  They and clients lose confidence in the business. The inability to carry out ‘business as normal’ can put the survival of any business at risk and can place an unbearable burden on the individuals involved.

Can I challenge a search warrant?

The powers of search and seizure under a search warrant are spread out over a great many legislative provisions.  The key message is to take our legal advice as soon as you are aware that anything might happen or has already happened.

What is clear is that warrants are very often granted on an erroneous basis.  The applications show scant regard for the legal principles involved in the issue of the search warrant.

Drawing a warrant too widely is a frequent issue as is demonstrated in the case of R (F, J and K) v Blackfriars Crown Court and Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis [2014] EWHC 1541 (Admin).

While warrants are issued via a judicial process, the Judge will only be able to rely on what is disclosed by the investigator in private.

Police officers are duty bound to provide the court with full and frank disclosure, highlighting any material which is potentially adverse to the application. This includes a duty not to mislead the judge in any material way. The judge must then apply a rigorous critical analysis to the application so that they can be satisfied that the evidence provided justifies the grant of the warrant and give reasons for their decision.

In Redknapp v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis [2008] EWHC 1177 (Admin) the court ruled:

“The obtaining of a search warrant is never to be treated as a formality. It authorises the invasion of a person’s home. All the material necessary to justify the grant of a warrant should be contained in the information provided on the form. If the magistrate or Judge in the case of an application under s.9, does require any further information in order to satisfy himself that the warrant is justified, a note should be made of the additional information so that there is a proper record of the full basis upon which the warrant has been granted.”

There are various avenues of legal redress available, including judicial review. Early intervention may result in the return of documents and property, and in some instances, a claim for damages might be possible.

How we can assist

Please contact us if you know that your premises are about to be searched or have been.  Keep any paperwork that you are given.  We will be able to give you expert legal advice on the legality of the search including the issue of the search warrant.

You can find your most convenient office here.

Alternatively please use the contact form below.

Category Archives: News

There is a defence in law known as necessity or duress of circumstances.  It is often raised by our clients in early discussions about their case.

It can be very difficult to demonstrate.  It is only likely to apply in unusual and extreme circumstances.  It is used to describe a situation where someone is forced by the demands of the situation to act unlawfully.  In so doing, a worse situation was avoided by acting in this way. This defence is quite separate from an issue of self-defence which is often far more straight forward.

What do I need to demonstrate to show duress?

You will need to show that you only acted for as long as was necessary.  In a driving case where you need to escape a dangerous situation, for example, when you are over the legal alcohol limit, you must stop as soon as the danger has been averted. If you carried on driving, you would no longer have a defence.

You must be able to demonstrate that

• no other action could be taken
• there was genuinely a greater evil that was being avoided by behaving in the way that you did
• your behaviour did not go beyond what was absolutely necessary.

What if I have been threatened?

Sometimes a person will say that he committed an offence out of fear for his personal safety or that of someone else, because of threats that have been made.

The key point is for there to be a clear and close danger combined with the threat of serious injury or death. A threats to cause damage to property is unlikely to constitute a threat serious enough to provide a duress defence.

If there is a large gap in time between threat and offence so that a person could have gone to the police but did not, it would be extremely unlikely that any defence could succeed.

Gangs, criminality and duress

The defence can often arise in the context of gang violence or where a person might owe money to loan sharks due to drug use. Unfortunately for such individuals, the defence of duress is unavailable to those who, having entered those worlds voluntarily, understood how violence was used as a means of securing particular objectives.

In relation to gang membership the court of appeal, in Sharp [1987] QB 853, has ruled:

“… where a person has voluntarily, and with knowledge of its nature, joined a criminal organisation or gang which he knew might bring pressure on him to commit an offence and was an active member when he was put under such pressure, he cannot avail himself of the defence of duress.”

As always though, the law on this point is very complex so it will always be best to seek our expert legal advice.

What is the legal test for duress?

In Howe [1987] AC 417 the court expressed the test in the following terms:

“Was the defendant, or may he have been, impelled to act as he did because, as a result of what he reasonably believed [the threatener] had said or done, he had good cause to fear that if he did not so act [the threatener] would kill him or … cause him serious physical injury? (2) If so, have the prosecution made the jury sure that a sober person of reasonable firmness, sharing the characteristics of the defendant, would not have responded to whatever he reasonably believed [the threatener] said or did by taking part [in the offence].”

Do duress or necessity of circumstances apply to all offences?

 Duress can never be a defence to murder or attempted murder, but strangely it may be a defence to conspiracy to murder (Ness [2011] Crim LR 645).

The potential harshness of this rule can be illustrated by the case of Wilson [2007] 2 Cr App R 411, where a 13-year-old boy, powerless to ignore the instruction of his father, was unable to advance the defence at trial.

It is thought to potentially apply to all other offences.

Can necessity apply to using cannabis for medicinal purposes?

The short answer is no.

There is no defence of necessity or duress available for using cannabis for medicinal purposes. There have been many cases on this point and in 2005 the courts comprehensively rejected any such argument, stating that it fell well outside of the ambit of duress. It may however amount to mitigation of the offence.

How we can help

The defence of duress and necessity is complicated.  As a result this article can only ever be a short overview.  Whether it can apply in your case will be entirely dependent on the evidence.  It is vital, therefore, that you obtain expert legal advice and representation immediately the police want to speak to you.

You can find details of your nearest office here.

Alternatively you can use the contact form below.

Category Archives: News

Nottingham criminal duty solicitor Jameel Malik represented a client before Nottingham Magistrates’ Court who faced trial for failing to provide a specimen of breath for analysis.

Our client’s vehicle found abandoned

Police officers had found an empty vehicle in a ditch.  They had carried out investigations and discovered who the vehicle belonged to.  The vehicle was owned by Jameel’s client so the police visited his address to speak to him.

The door had been opened by our client who was asked to provide a breath test, the officers having reasonable cause to believe that he had been driving whilst under the influence of alcohol.  Jameel’s client refused.  He stated that this was because he had a medical condition that prevented him providing a sample.

Because of this, the officer made further enquiries and asked our client to make further disclosure of his symptoms.  The police officer was provided with excuses that included poor mental health and depresssion.  He had suffered a broken neck in the past and had something lodged in his throat.

Our client admitted that the vehicle was his, he had driven into the ditch and could not get out, and having walked home had then drunk a large amount of red wine.

The officer continued to warn the suspect that if he failed to provide a specimen of breath for analysis then he would have no choice but to arrest him for failing to provide a specimen for analysis.  Eventually, the office’s patience ran out and our client was arrested and taken to Newark police station.

Medical reasons given at the police station

Unsurprisingly, at the police station, our client was requested to provide a specimen of breath on the machine at the police station.  Again, our client provided a list of reasons why he could not when asked whether he had medical reasons.  He talked of breathlessness, severe panic attacks and anxiety, as well as other medical conditions.

Jameel’s client made two attempts to provide a specimen of bread for analysis.  On both occasions they registered as a fail because he had not blown hard enough.  The officer believed that the failure to provide had been deliberate.  Our client was also seen by a medic while in custody who offered the opinion that there was no medical reason for failing to provide a specimen.

Finally, having been charged with failing to provide a specimen at the police station, our client was asked to provide a specimen to check that he was under the limit to drive.  He successfully did so, into a handheld device.

Client account supported by medical evidence

The issue for trial was whether our client had a reasonable excuse for failing to provide a specimen for analysis in the police station.

During the trial, the Magistrates heard evidence from the officer who carried out procedure at the police station.  Jameel questioned him as to why he had not given his client the opportunity to provide blood or urine as an alternative to breath.  Footage from a body worn camera was available, as was CCTV from the custody suite.

Jameel’s client then gave evidence as to his reasons for not providing.  A psychiatrist also provided evidence about his mental state.  He had, in fact, been suffering from anxiety all his life.  When placed in the situation he had been in at the police station and asked to provide a sample of breath his anxiety levels increased, with his mental state influencing his ability to provide a specimen of breath.

Not guilty of failing to provide a specimen

After hearing all of the evidence and Jameel’s address to the court, the Magistrates were persuaded by the evidence and his argument.  Jameel’s client was found not guilty of failing to provide a specimen.

Contact a motoring law solicitor

If you face an allegation of failing to provide a specimen for analysis, or any other road traffic offence, you will want to instruct a specialist.  Jameel can be contacted at our Nottingham office on 0115 9599550.  We have experts at all of our other offices as well.

Contact details for all of our offices can be found here.

Alternatively you can use the contact form below.

Category Archives: News

If you are over 17 years of age, the easiest answer to the question ‘will my name appear in the press?’ is that yes, it could. These days, press reporting via social media can happen very quickly.  It is often one of the things not thought about by those facing criminal proceedings.

Proceedings before the Youth Court

Anyone aged 17 or under will generally first appear in the Youth Court. There are strict rules that prevent the publication of the name, address, school or any other matter likely to identify a person under 18 who is a victim, witness or defendant in a youth court.

This restriction can be lifted in certain circumstances.  If you instruct is then we will be able to advise you and oppose any such application on your behalf if appropriate.  If a youth appears in an adult court the prosecutor will apply for an order to prevent the naming of a youth.

In civil proceedings,however, such as in applications for anti-social behaviour injunctions, reporting restrictions do not apply.

Can I receive anonymity or will my name appear in the press?

There is an automatic reporting restriction that prevents the identification of any teacher who is alleged by a pupil at the same school to have committed a criminal offence against the pupil. This restriction ends when the teacher is charged or summonsed to court and can be varied or lifted.

Victims of sexual offences and a limited number of other offences have lifetime anonymity.  In these cases the answer to the question ‘will my name appear in the press?’ is no.

Reports of certain hearings at court may only include the name of the defendant and the offences he faces. This includes allocation and sending hearings in the Magistrates’ Court and preparatory and pre-trial hearings in the Crown Court.

Once a trial is underway, you should expect to see reports of the entire proceedings, unless a Judge orders otherwise.  Of course, whether of not the case is reported may well depend on the nature of the case and the competition for other stories in the media at that time.

Discretionary reporting restrictions

Although an application may be made to restrict reporting of a defendant’s name any discretion has to be considered with care.  Such restrictions are not common in court proceedings.

An example of where an application may be appropriate is for a defendant who is in the witness protection programme.  This has been used recently in relation to John Venables, the killer of James Bulger.

For proceedings that are not in the youth court, there is a discretion to impose reporting restrictions in respect of a victim, witness or defendant under the age of 18. The court would need to be satisfied that the welfare of the child outweighed the strong public interest in open justice. There is a similar discretion for adult witnesses if their evidence would suffer if they were named as a witness.

Will the press be in Court?

Members of the press can sit in on hearings in any court, including the youth court, unless they are specifically excluded.  Such a course would only be in rare and particular circumstances.

The general principle is that justice should be open and administered in public. Even if the press is not present, this does not mean that your case will not be reported.

Local reporters sell stories to other newspapers, so do not assume that just because you appear before a court away from where you live, your own local press will not be aware of it.

How we can assist

The law in respect of reporting restrictions is complicated, and breach of a restriction is a criminal offence for individuals as well as members of the press. This article is intended to give only a very brief overview of the issues involved.

Press reporting is one of the issues that you need to consider early on in the criminal process, particularly if your case is likely to attract publicity.

You will need to consider the effect that the proceedings may have on others, particularly children, and how you might deal with that.

If you need any advice answering the question ‘will my name appear in the press’ or if you have any concerns or simply want to discuss any aspect of your case please contact your most convenient office.

Alternatively you can use the contact form below.

Category Archives: News

Newly qualified regulatory solicitor Elliott Moulster, based at our Ilkeston office spent a period pre-qualification on secondment to Nottingham Law Centre.

You can read more about his placement here and here.

Elliott was certainly kept busy during the final two weeks of his placement.  During his time there he had become a valued member of the Law Centre’s Welfare Benefits Department.

He continued to progress a significant number of welfare benefits cases.  Elliott was now in a position to provide advice to many vulnerable clients who required assistance.  There were plenty of calls to be made and letters to be written to the DWP,  This was combined with his attendance and assistance at community events.

Housing Law Duty Scheme

In addition to continuing with the valuable welfare benefits work, Elliott also had the opportunity to experience some housing law.  He attended Nottingham County Court with one of the housing solicitors, Anne Downey who was undertaking work under the Housing Duty solicitor scheme.  Elliott was impressed how, much like a criminal duty solicitor,  Anne was able to provide detailed and accurate advice in a very short period of time.

Since Elliott was given the above opportunity, he also spent a great deal of time familiarising myself with various aspects of housing law. This included

• court procedure
• the eviction process, and
• possible defences to eviction.

Elliott’s most memorable piece of work happened on his very last day at Nottingham Law Centre. The Housing Department had a case in which they had to prove a defendant’s right to reside in the UK. Elliott drafted submissions to the court as to the individual’s right to reside.

This work followed similar submissions that Elliott had made on the topic to the Social Security Upper Appeal Tribunal.  In that case his representations had been approved and appreciated by the judge due to them being accurate but concise. Although the nature of the work is such that instructions are received at the last minute, he was able to prepare and deliver the submissions in the nick of time.

A big thank you to Nottingham Law Centre

In conclusion, Elliott had spent a fantastic time at Nottingham Law Centre.  The spell complimented the training in criminal law that he had received in our regulatory and criminal law departments.   He learnt a great deal and developed a number of transferable skills.

Elliott has no have no doubt that this experience will benefit him as he begins his life as a solicitor. The partners of VHS Fletchers are very grateful to supervising solicitor Sally Denton and all at the Law Centre for making the experience so rewarding.  Particular thanks must go to Diana Bagci who was a wonderful supervisor.

Although Elliott’s time at the Nottingham Law Centre is over, this won’t be goodbye.  Elliott is already a team member for the Nottingham Legal Walk on 10 May.

Read more about that and give generously here.

Category Archives: News

It may be an offence to fail to provide information as the identity of a driver when you receive a written request for driver information from (or on behalf of) the police. If you are convicted then you face a hefty fine as well as 6 penalty points.

How long do they have to make the request?

 Any request for driver information must normally be served within 14 days of the offence being committed. There is case law, for example,  where because of a  postal strike delivery of the request for driver information was delayed beyond the 14 days an offence had not been committed where there was a failure to respond.

If you receive a request for driver information and have any doubt as to whether the notice was served within the requisite period then please contact us immediately for further advice.  For example, in some circumstances, a valid request can be made after the 14 day period.  Do not ignore a request simply because you believe it to be out of time – always seek urgent legal advice from one of our motoring solicitors before you make any decision.

How long do I have to reply?

 From the date the notice is served you have 28 days to reply, or “as soon as practicably after the end of that period”.

Is there a right against self-incrimination

 A number of case have dealt with this issue.  Simply put, it doesn’t matter.  The requirement to identify the driver does not affect your human rights. The court has said “those who choose to keep and drive a car can be taken to have accepted certain responsibilities.”

Those responsibilities include the obligation to provide information upon request as to the driver of the vehicle on any occasion.

What if I really don’t know who was driving?

If you genuinely do not know who was driving it may be that you have a defence to an allegation of failing to answer a request for driver information.

The defence is that you “could not with reasonable diligence have ascertained who the driver of the vehicle was”.  As a result, for this defence to succeed, you will have needed to make all reasonable enquiries to find out who the driver was.  You will also need to reply to the request, providing what assistance you can.

In such circumstances it is best to seek early legal advice.  A recent case involving the former politician Lord Howard, has opened up a number of interesting legal arguments.

I did not receive the request for driver information and now I have been summonsed. What do I do?

You may have a defence to the allegation. Please contact a motoring law solicitor at your nearest office for further advice.

What if I provide false information?

It can be tempting to name a spouse, or even someone abroad, in the hope of avoiding penalty points. To do so would amount to the offence of perverting the course of justice.  This will almost always result in an immediate prison sentence.

We have provided more information about this here.

Companies

 It will be a defence for a company to show that there was no record kept of the driver and that this failure to keep a record was reasonable. The notice can be served by sending it to a secretary or a clerk, at the registered or principal office.

Although It may seem obvious, a company cannot be given penalty points.  As a result, any penalty would be limited to a fine.

In certain circumstances proceedings can also be brought against company directors.  As a result a company cannot be used as a shield against prosecution for this offence. If your company operates a company car pool it would be wise to ensure that you have robust procedures in place in order to track vehicle usage or run the risk of a conviction for failure to answer a request for driver information.

Will I be entitled to Legal aid to defend this case?

Public funding may be available do defend any court proceedings, so if you have received a court date then please contact one of our expert road traffic lawyers for further information.

You can find out more information about legal aid here.

How our expert motoring law solicitors can assist

The law concerning a request for driver information can be complicated. This article is intended to give only a very brief overview of the issues involved.  As a result, if you have any concerns or simply to discuss any aspect of your case please contact your nearest offices.

Details can be found here.

Alternatively you can use the contact form below.

Category Archives: News

VHS Fletchers are pleased to sponsor Nottingham runner Naomi McArthur.  Naomi is to run her first full Marathon this year in London on 22 April to benefit the Help a Child Appeal.

In relation to the marathon itself, Naomi describes herself as:

 “excited and terrified in equal measure!”

National Justice Museum’s Help a Child Appeal

Her chosen charity is The National Justice Museum’s Help a Child Appeal.  This aims to help children to stay away from crime and understand and engage with their rights while living up to their responsibilities.

Naomi has described her motivation for completing the marathon for the charity:

“As a mum of three, living in the City of Nottingham, I wanted to support a charity which educates local children about the law, and encourages them to become law abiding citizens, and make positive decisions for their futures.” 

The money raised helps the charity to provide educational activities for children, who might not otherwise have the opportunity to visit the museum.

How will the donations be spent?

The funded activities will help broaden the horizons of the children who take part in the program.  They encourage self-motivation, self-confidence and engagement. Young people who attend will be able to develop a range of essential skills.

These include critical thinking, debate, presentation, research and analytical skills, as well as speaking, listening and communication skills.

Any donations can help children feel empowered to:

• Learn about the law
• Stay away from crime
• Make positive decisions
• Be more tolerant of others
• Develop aspirations for their future

In 2015/16 over 22 000 young people took part in one of the charity’s educational activities. With continued help, the charity aims to continue to reach out and provide opportunities for even more. Any donations made will have a direct impact on the children and young people that the charity works with.

Update

On Friday 23 February Naomi held a fund raiser at Suede Bar in Nottingham.

This was a great success, with a total of 115 tickets sold.  600 raffle tickets were also sold for a great array of prizes donated by individuals and local business.  After expenses an impressive total of

£1600

was raised for the charity.

Naomi had recovered sufficiently by the Sunday to take on a 16 mile run, enjoying the sunshine before the Beast from the East hit.

On Tuesday Naomi didn’t let the snow keep her indoors, and we have photographic evidence to prove it.

Unfortunately, Thursday‘s planned 18 mile run was frustrated by too much snow as the Beast from the East struck and schools were closed.  Instead Naomi took to the exercise bike.

We’ll post further updates when we have them.  Click on the links below to show your support (moral and financial).

Update 2 – 16 March 2018

Since we last updated you on Naomi’s progress towards the London Marathon she has undertaken a 16 mile run from East Midlands airport to Nottingham Castle.  Here she is contemplating a flight out of the country rather than doing the run.

158 people took part in the run.  The cause on this occasion was to raise money for the UK Bowel Cancer charity.

Here is Naomi at the finish.  With five weeks to go, she has an 18 mile run planned for tonight.

Naomi has also been asking people to guess her finish time with the incentive of a cash prize, with time ranging from 3:42:10 to ‘did not finish’.  It’s £1 a guess, and she’ll ask you when she sees you.

Update number three – 3 April

Naomi enjoyed her longest run ever in the sunshine on Sunday 25 March.  This was 22 miles along the Grantham Canal.  She was dropped off in Harby and left to run home!

Another 20 miles just 4 days later was tough going on her legs, so Naomi is very happy that it’s now time to taper off.  She is slightly disappointed that the taper is not a little more drastic as there is still over 100 miles to run, with two more long runs of 15 and 10 miles respectively as the date of 22 April approaches.

Update number 4 – 17 April

That’s it now, Naomi has completed her training.  The t-shirt has been printed.   Only five more sleeps to go.  Despite popping echinacea supplement and bingeing on oranges, “maranoia” has well and truly taken hold!

Naomi questions whether she will manage the last 4 miles that she hasn’t covered in training? Will her bad knee finally give way? Will she melt in the blistering heat of the hottest London Marathon in fifteen years?

423 miles have been run since January of this year, taking up 66 hours of her time.  Over £1700 has been raised so far for the for The National Justice Museum’s Help a Child Campaign.

Despite this, she remains as terrified as she was three months ago!

PS – Update 5 – 19 April

Naomi after 3 miles in the blazing sunshine this evening.  3 MILES in the EVENING!!! She’s wondering whether it’s too late to defer….

Follow the link to give to make this all worth while!

Update 6 – the day after

Despite it being her first marathon, and it being the hottest London Marathon on record, Naomi completed the race in an impressive 4 hours and 56 minutes.

We have asked Naomi for her comments on the day and she offers:

‘It was TOUGH! The hottest London Marathon on record (would you believe it after all that training in the snow, ice and rain?) and the heat really got to me. I felt unwell really early on, with nausea and dizziness from miles 5 and 6.

It was a mental battle of over 4 hours to reach the finish line from there! All ideas of achieving my dream time went out of the window and it just became a case of ploughing on until the finish line.

It was so HOT that I questioned whether or not I’d even make it to the finish line at all, but thanks to my running buddy and a great support team I did!  

I’m feeling proud but broken today, and very happy to have raised nearly £2000 for a great cause.’

Although Naomi has vowed ‘never again’ as she stumbled across the finish line, she is left wondering what she might be capable of in better conditions.

Its not too late to donate.  Follow the links below.

You can look back at Naomi’s progress towards the Marathon and her fundraising drive on her Facebook page here.

The link to make a donation can be found here.

Category Archives: News

The first round of the Hammond Cup took place on 22 March 2018 at Nottingham Law.

This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the advocacy competition.  It was set up by Michael Hammond in 1968, who sadly passed away in 2017.  The competition presents a great opportunity for junior lawyers to improve their advocacy skills in a courtroom setting in front of local legal professionals.

Elliott Moulster competed for the second year running.  You can read about last year’s competition here and here.

Those taking part in the first round of the competition this year were challenged to either present a fee in mitigation or an application for a summary judgement.

This year presented judges with a particularly high standard of advocacy, and there were just a few points between each competitor.  This year the judges included our own crime solicitor Jim Buckley, although not, of course, judging Elliott.

Elliott made it though to the final along with Jacqueline Macduff from the Johnson Partnership, Phillip Pearson of Cartwright King and Kayleigh Brooks of the Ropewalk Chambers.

The final of the Hammond Cup is due to take place on Thursday 19 April, again at the Law School.  It will involve each of the competitors undertaking a trial.  Spectators are welcome, and we wish all competitors the best of luck.