Laura Hoyano is Emeritus Professor of Law at the University of Oxford, Emeritus Fellow at Wadham College, Oxford, and a practising barrister at Red Lion Chambers. Laura conducted the largest empirical study of the use of sexual behaviour evidence in the courts of England and Wales under YJCEA 1999, s 41. It was unique in collecting data in respect of all sexual offences, not just rape, and without any restrictions on complainants as to gender or age. It was published in full by the Criminal Bar Association, and summarised in ‘Cross-Examination of Sexual Assault Complainants on Previous Sexual Behaviour: Views from the Barristers' Row’ [2019] Crim LR 77. She represented the CBA on the End-to-End Rape Review but declined to endorse its findings. A new, comprehensively rewritten, edition of Hoyano’s Child Abuse Law and Policy across Boundaries (OUP) will be published later in 2026.
Baffled by the government’s proposed s 41 reforms and by the Law Commission’s preferred model, Laura Hoyano looks at what won’t work, and what will
Baffled by the government’s proposed s 41 reforms and by the Law Commission’s preferred model, Laura Hoyano looks at what won’t work, and what will
With vulnerable complainants and witnesses ensnared in the Crown Court backlog, potentially for years, Laura Hoyano and John Riley put forward proposals to reduce the attrition rate while enabling justice to be done when cases finally get to trial
A two-part series from Laura Hoyano and John Riley modelling investigation and prosecution strategies in cases of abusive relationship offending: part two of this worked case example looks at the issues arising at trial
A two-part series from Laura Hoyano and John Riley modelling investigation and prosecution strategies in cases of abusive relationship offending. Part one of this worked case example shows the typical challenges, tactics to surmount them, and the need for innovative thinking
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Judge-alone trials should not be immediately discarded as inevitably inimical to the interests of justice and have been operating uncontroversially in Canada as an expansion of defence rights for many decades, writes Laura Hoyano
Shortcomings and legal anachronisms: how can we achieve best evidence if current guidance is dangerously out of date on the law on special measures? asks Laura Hoyano
‘Think very carefully’ before agreeing to go just with the ABE video interview, Hallett VP has warned. Laura Hoyano explains why a tactical decision not to cross-examine a competent vulnerable witness is a risky strategy
Special measures, lingering live-link issues and banishing generalisations: as the s 28 roll-out hits the buffers, Laura Hoyano examines state of play
Laura Hoyano provides a refresher on the barrister’s rule of independence in response to the Home Secretary’s proffered ‘deal’ to human rights lawyers
Home Secretary Theresa May has been vocal over recent months on immigration and human rights laws, most recently arguing in April that Britain should leave the European Convention on Human Rights.
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
