Emma is a UK qualified solicitor, who has spent over four years working in the international criminal courts, firstly in the Appeals Chamber at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, and subsequently at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia. She is also completing a doctoral thesis in international criminal law.
From October 2013, with the new code of practice introduced by the Ministry of Justice, victims became entitled to read a statement prior to sentencing explaining the impact of the crime upon them.
The change itself is a small one, but forms part of a broader trend: victims are increasingly viewed as legitimate actors in criminal proceedings, blurring the traditional demarcations of the adversarial system. A counter-trend seems to be at play in the international criminal law arena: in September 2013, the drafters of a blueprint statute for a prospective Syrian tribunal rejected outright the enhanced role for victims that has, since the Rome Statute, been an accepted feature of international criminal proceedings. The problems of victim participation in the essentially adversarial international criminal courts should sound a note of caution for law-makers in England and Wales.
The Chair of the Bar reports back
Clement Cowley, Partner at The Penny Group, explains how global events can influence the performance of pensions and ISAs, and why taking a long-term approach to investing is often the most effective strategy
Mário Barroso, Head of R&D and Method Development at AlphaBiolabs, discusses what family law professionals need to know about hallucinogens, from the main hallucinogenic drugs encountered in family proceedings, to their effects and the testing options available
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
At the start of her term, Chair of the Bar 2026 Kirsty Brimelow KC set out a series of priorities for the year ahead. One of those priorities was children in the justice system
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
