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Sentencing – Benefit fraud – Incapacity benefit. High Court of Justiciary: Allowing an appeal against sentence by an appellant who pled guilty to a charge of obtaining incapacity benefit of £13,000 to which he was not entitled and was sentenced to 5 months' imprisonment, the court having concluded that the sheriff's approach to the question of whether an alternative to custody could and should be considered and whether in fact such an alternative was realistically available was flawed, quashed the sentence of imprisonment and substituted a probation order for 12 months subject to the condition that the appellant would undertake 200 hours of unpaid work.
Sentencing – Benefit fraud – Incapacity benefit. High Court of Justiciary: Allowing an appeal against sentence by an appellant who pled guilty to a charge of obtaining incapacity benefit of £13,000 to which he was not entitled and was sentenced to 5 months' imprisonment, the court having concluded that the sheriff's approach to the question of whether an alternative to custody could and should be considered and whether in fact such an alternative was realistically available was flawed, quashed the sentence of imprisonment and substituted a probation order for 12 months subject to the condition that the appellant would undertake 200 hours of unpaid work.
The Bar Council faces both opportunities and challenges on our key areas this year
Exclusive Q&A with Henry Dannell
Casey Randall of AlphaBiolabs discusses the benefits of Non-invasive Prenatal Paternity testing for the timely resolution of family disputes
By Louise Crush of Westgate Wealth Management
Have you considered being a barrister in the British Army? Here’s an insight into a career in Army Legal Services
Rachel Davenport, Co-founder and Director at AlphaBiolabs, discusses the role that drug, alcohol and DNA testing can play in non-court dispute resolution (NCDR)
As the international community strives towards a more inclusive future, ongoing dialogue and reform will be essential to harmonise the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities with the complex realities of disability, says Christina Warner
‘Hard work and commitment can open doors. I believe that I am proof of that,’ says Senior Treasury Counsel Louise Oakley. She tells Anthony Inglese CB about her journey from Wolverhampton to the Old Bailey
What's it like being a legal trainee at the Crown Prosecution Service? Amy describes what drew her to the role, the skills required and a typical day in the life
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
The winning essay is ‘A fiction of defendant participation: Single Justice Procedure offences should be moved to the civil jurisdiction’ by Hal McNulty