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Criminal law – Indecent assault. The defendant had been convicted of three offences of indecent assault contrary to s 15(1) of the Sexual Offences Act 1956 and sentenced to 21 months' imprisonment on each count concurrent. The offences had taken place in the 1970s when the defendant was an Anglican priest and the complainant resident in a local authority care home. The Court of Appeal, Criminal Division, dismissed the defendant's appeal against conviction and held, amongst other things, that it had not been demonstrated to the judge that irredeemable prejudice had been done to the defendant's case as a result of missing contemporaneous records. The defendant's appeal against sentence was allowed and the sentence reduced to concurrent sentences of nine months' imprisonment. The court noted that the defendant's physical and mental health was steadily deteriorating.
Criminal law – Indecent assault. The defendant had been convicted of three offences of indecent assault contrary to s 15(1) of the Sexual Offences Act 1956 and sentenced to 21 months' imprisonment on each count concurrent. The offences had taken place in the 1970s when the defendant was an Anglican priest and the complainant resident in a local authority care home. The Court of Appeal, Criminal Division, dismissed the defendant's appeal against conviction and held, amongst other things, that it had not been demonstrated to the judge that irredeemable prejudice had been done to the defendant's case as a result of missing contemporaneous records. The defendant's appeal against sentence was allowed and the sentence reduced to concurrent sentences of nine months' imprisonment. The court noted that the defendant's physical and mental health was steadily deteriorating.
Update from the Chair of the Bar
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
Save the Children UK is the latest charity to benefit from a £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs via the company’s Giving Back initiative
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
Grok around and find out – or not? Mariya Peykova investigates the nudification scandal, what the law has to say about sexually explicit deepfakes, and whether stronger regulation is needed
Oliver Lewis spotlights an overlooked yet rapidly evolving area of law – coercive and controlling behaviour within care contexts