*/
Criminal barristers have reacted angrily to last-minute changes to a deal on Very High Cost Criminal (“VHCC”) cases. Bar representatives have been negotiating with Ministry of Justice officials for nearly two years to secure a flexible pay scheme for advocates working on VHCC cases, which include the most serious terrorism and murder trials. However, in November the government said it wanted to introduce a new option: extending the existing fixed-fee scheme for shorter cases of up to 40 days to include cases lasting up to 60 days. The Legal Services Commission (“LSC”) confirmed the change in its consultation paper, published in December, “Very High Cost (Crime) Cases 2010”.
Criminal barristers have reacted angrily to last-minute changes to a deal on Very High Cost Criminal (“VHCC”) cases. Bar representatives have been negotiating with Ministry of Justice officials for nearly two years to secure a flexible pay scheme for advocates working on VHCC cases, which include the most serious terrorism and murder trials. However, in November the government said it wanted to introduce a new option: extending the existing fixed-fee scheme for shorter cases of up to 40 days to include cases lasting up to 60 days. The Legal Services Commission (“LSC”) confirmed the change in its consultation paper, published in December, “Very High Cost (Crime) Cases 2010”.
Update from the Chair of the Bar
Harmony Christian Ministries is the latest charity to benefit from a £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs via the company’s Giving Back initiative
By David Green
Mário Barroso, Head of R&D and Method Development at AlphaBiolabs, examines the forensic science underpinning hair drug testing, its evidential scope and limitations, and why it remains the gold standard for evidencing patterns of drug use in family proceedings
Unlocking your aged debt to fund your tax in one easy step. By Philip N Bristow
Clement Cowley, Partner at The Penny Group, discusses the upcoming changes to pensions and Inheritance Tax and the potential impact on your financial future
Reviewed by Daniel Barnett
James McNeill Whistler at Tate Britain until 27 September Rothko in Florence at Palazzo Strozzi until 23 August Reviewed by Stephen Cragg KC
The Chief Legal Officer to the Metropolitan Police, barrister Brett Welch, tells Anthony Inglese CB about his mission and the work to turn the Met around
Barrister apprenticeships – shortly to provide the fourth pathway to the Bar – are an ideal opportunity to support local talent and ‘grow your own’, say Tim Coulson and Dr Jane Dennehy
Oliver Lewis spotlights an overlooked yet rapidly evolving area of law – coercive and controlling behaviour within care contexts
