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Criminal law – Trial. The defendant was convicted of rape and assault by penetration of his adult daughter, who had been placed for adoption shortly after birth, but had reunited with the defendant in her thirties. The defendant had contended at trial that sexual intercourse had been consensual. He appealed against conviction on the ground that, among other things, the judge's summing up had been deficient in that it had not gone into the detail of text messages sent the complainant to the defendant which contradicted her evidence that sex had been non-consensual. The Court of Appeal, Criminal Division, in allowing the appeal, held that, the conviction could not be held to be safe in the face of the deficiencies revealed by the summing up.
Criminal law – Trial. The defendant was convicted of rape and assault by penetration of his adult daughter, who had been placed for adoption shortly after birth, but had reunited with the defendant in her thirties. The defendant had contended at trial that sexual intercourse had been consensual. He appealed against conviction on the ground that, among other things, the judge's summing up had been deficient in that it had not gone into the detail of text messages sent the complainant to the defendant which contradicted her evidence that sex had been non-consensual. The Court of Appeal, Criminal Division, in allowing the appeal, held that, the conviction could not be held to be safe in the face of the deficiencies revealed by the summing up.
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
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
For one night only at Middle Temple Hall (Sunday 26 July 2026) – Abigail Bright introduces the famed annual fundraising theatrical event. This year, Martin Shaw and Jason Watkins perform John Mortimer’s The Dock Brief, a mixture of farce and pathos and all in support of the work of the Kalisher Trust in its 30th year
