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Preface
A look at the government’s new consultation on legal aid reform and an urgent call to all sections of the Bar, irrespective of discipline, to respond
Contributor
Maura McGowan QC, Chairman of the Bar
I would imagine that being hit and knocked out by a speeding car means that when you come around you feel a mixture of relief at not being dead and a deep concern about whether your injuries might yet turn out to be fatal. That’s the dawning feeling for most of the criminal Bar following publication of the Ministry of Justice’s (MoJ’s) consultation paper, Transforming legal aid: delivering a more credible and efficient system.
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Penny Cooper reports on plans to revise the Victims’ Code and enhance entitlements for the vulnerable
In February 2013, Frances Andrade committed suicide a few days after giving evidence in the Crown Court. Within days of the verdict, Helen Grant MP, the Minister for Victims and the Courts, held a roundtable meeting at the House of Lords. Those present included representatives of the CPS, the Ministry of Justice and HMCTS as well as the Chairman of the Bar and the author representing the Advocacy Training Council’s Vulnerable Witness Committee. Discussions focused on support for complainants in sexual abuse cases and improvements to the Victims’ Code. The coalition had previously made a commitment to reviewing the code and work was already under way. The revised Victims’ Code (“the 2013 draft”) became available on 29 March (https://consult.justice.gov.uk/digital-communications/code-victims-crime) with consultation running until 10 May.
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Toby Craig reflects on Lady Thatcher’s passing, cuts, cuts and more cuts and the challenges facing the criminal Bar
For whom the bell tolls...
A busy month in Westminster included the budget, the dreaded implementation of LASPO, the long-awaited consultation on criminal legal aid and an LSB grilling before the Justice Select Committee. We will get to all of those, but this month’s WW could only properly start in one place.
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Courage in the face of adversity