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Sentence – Confiscation order. The defendants pleaded guilty to an indictment charging them with conspiracy to evade the duty payable on the importation of cigarettes, contrary to s 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977. The judge subsequently made confiscation orders against both men. The defendants appealed against the confiscation orders, contending, among other things, that the judge had been wrong to find that they had incurred a liability to pay excise duty and VAT, and that, on the facts, no benefit had been 'obtained' for the purposes of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. The Court of Appeal, Criminal Division, dismissed the grounds of appeal and held that it was bound by the decision of the House of Lords in R v Smith (David) ([2002] 1 All ER 366 ).
Sentence – Confiscation order. The defendants pleaded guilty to an indictment charging them with conspiracy to evade the duty payable on the importation of cigarettes, contrary to s 1(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1977. The judge subsequently made confiscation orders against both men. The defendants appealed against the confiscation orders, contending, among other things, that the judge had been wrong to find that they had incurred a liability to pay excise duty and VAT, and that, on the facts, no benefit had been 'obtained' for the purposes of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. The Court of Appeal, Criminal Division, dismissed the grounds of appeal and held that it was bound by the decision of the House of Lords in R v Smith (David) ([2002] 1 All ER 366 ).
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
