*/
THE BBC has aired its five part drama series Criminal Justice. The series showed the experience of a youngman falsely accused of a crime and his journey through the criminal justice system. The character, Ben Coulter, is first a police suspect, later a defendant and then a prisoner.
The drama shows barristers acting in breach of their professional obligations. In episode two a QC encourages a client to provide a false defence to a Court. Such conduct constitutes a grave breach of professional conduct and would be grounds for the barrister to be struck off. The Bar Council is very concerned at the portrayal in this way of a profession which works to the highest ethical standards. At a time when public funding of criminal defence is under sustained attack, PeterMoffatt, the writer, appears to havemissed the real story.
Commenting on the series the Chairman Bar Council TimDutton QC said: “The Bar’s Code of Conduct requires every barrister to act to the highest ethical standards so that the interests of Justice are served. Naturally some licence needs to be taken for dramatic purposes. But Criminal Justice goes too far. Publicly funded criminal defence practitioners continue to serve members of the public in the most difficult circumstances. Even though the system is chronically underfunded, they act to the highest standards. Counsel’s first duty is to the Court and to the interests of justice. Criminal justice is not a game and it is a travesty to suggest that practitioners see it in that way.”
The drama shows barristers acting in breach of their professional obligations. In episode two a QC encourages a client to provide a false defence to a Court. Such conduct constitutes a grave breach of professional conduct and would be grounds for the barrister to be struck off. The Bar Council is very concerned at the portrayal in this way of a profession which works to the highest ethical standards. At a time when public funding of criminal defence is under sustained attack, PeterMoffatt, the writer, appears to havemissed the real story.
Commenting on the series the Chairman Bar Council TimDutton QC said: “The Bar’s Code of Conduct requires every barrister to act to the highest ethical standards so that the interests of Justice are served. Naturally some licence needs to be taken for dramatic purposes. But Criminal Justice goes too far. Publicly funded criminal defence practitioners continue to serve members of the public in the most difficult circumstances. Even though the system is chronically underfunded, they act to the highest standards. Counsel’s first duty is to the Court and to the interests of justice. Criminal justice is not a game and it is a travesty to suggest that practitioners see it in that way.”
THE BBC has aired its five part drama series Criminal Justice. The series showed the experience of a youngman falsely accused of a crime and his journey through the criminal justice system. The character, Ben Coulter, is first a police suspect, later a defendant and then a prisoner.
Chair of the Bar reports back
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs
A £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs has been made to the leading UK charity tackling international parental child abduction and the movement of children across international borders
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, outlines the drug and alcohol testing options available for family law professionals, and how a new, free guide can help identify the most appropriate testing method for each specific case
By Louise Crush of Westgate Wealth Management
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, examines the latest ONS data on drug misuse and its implications for toxicology testing in family law cases
A career shaped by advocacy beyond her practice, and the realities of living with an invisible disability – Dr Natasha Shotunde, Black Barristers’ Network Co-Founder and its Chair for seven years, reflects on a decade at the Bar
Responding to criticism on the narrow profile of government-instructed counsel, Mel Nebhrajani CB describes the system-wide change at GLD to drive fairer distribution of work and broader development of talent
The odds of success are as unforgiving as ever, but ambition clearly isn’t in short supply. David Wurtzel’s annual deep‑dive into the competition cohort shows who’s entering, who’s thriving and the trends that will define the next wave
Where to start and where to find help? Monisha Shah, Chair of the King’s Counsel Selection Panel, provides an overview of the silk selection process, debunking some myths along the way
Do chatbot providers owe a duty of care for negligent misstatements? Jasper Wong suggests that the principles applicable to humans should apply equally to machines
