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Sentencing – Road traffic offences – Forfeiture. Sheriff Appeal Court: Refusing an appeal by an appellant who pled guilty to driving with excess alcohol and a further offence of failure to provide a specimen committed 9 days later, and who was fined a total of £1,950, disqualified for 3 years and whose car (valued at £15,000) was ordered to be forfeited, the court held that when the level of the reading relating to the drink driving offence (nearly three times over the limit) was taken along with repeat offending a matter of days later, all against the background of the appellant's subsequent 'cavalier' attitude to his offending, it was entirely legitimate for the sheriff to consider a forfeiture order, and the overall disposal could not be described as excessive on the facts and circumstances presented to her.
Sentencing – Road traffic offences – Forfeiture. Sheriff Appeal Court: Refusing an appeal by an appellant who pled guilty to driving with excess alcohol and a further offence of failure to provide a specimen committed 9 days later, and who was fined a total of £1,950, disqualified for 3 years and whose car (valued at £15,000) was ordered to be forfeited, the court held that when the level of the reading relating to the drink driving offence (nearly three times over the limit) was taken along with repeat offending a matter of days later, all against the background of the appellant's subsequent 'cavalier' attitude to his offending, it was entirely legitimate for the sheriff to consider a forfeiture order, and the overall disposal could not be described as excessive on the facts and circumstances presented to her.
Barbara Mills KC, the new Chair of the Bar, outlines some key themes and priorities
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A centre of excellence for youth justice, the Youth Justice Legal Centre provides specialist training, an advice line and a membership programme
Barbara Mills KC wants to raise the profile of the family Bar. She also wants to improve wellbeing and enhance equality, diversity and inclusion in the profession. She talks to Joshua Rozenberg KC (hon) about her plans for the year ahead
Professor Dominic Regan and Seán Jones KC identify good value bottles across the price spectrum – from festive fizz to reliable reds
Reviews by Daniel Barnett
Governments who play fast and loose with the law get into real trouble, says the new Attorney General. The Rt Hon Lord Hermer KC talks to Anthony Inglese CB about what drew this boy from Cardiff to the Bar, bringing the barrister ethos to the front bench, and how he will be measuring success
Mark Neale, Director General of the Bar Standards Board, offers an update on the Equality Rules consultation