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Criminal evidence and procedure – Admissibility of hearsay evidence – Right to fair trial. Sheriff Appeal Court: Refusing an appeal against conviction for assault by an appellant at whose trial the sheriff admitted the hearsay evidence of a child witness in the form of a police statement after she refused to enter a room where she had been due to give evidence by CCTV, the court concluded that the sheriff was entitled to be satisfied that the witness had refused to be admonished to tell the truth such that the evidence of her statement was admissible under s 259 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995, and that the admission of the hearsay did not render the trial unfair in terms of art 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Criminal evidence and procedure – Admissibility of hearsay evidence – Right to fair trial. Sheriff Appeal Court: Refusing an appeal against conviction for assault by an appellant at whose trial the sheriff admitted the hearsay evidence of a child witness in the form of a police statement after she refused to enter a room where she had been due to give evidence by CCTV, the court concluded that the sheriff was entitled to be satisfied that the witness had refused to be admonished to tell the truth such that the evidence of her statement was admissible under s 259 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995, and that the admission of the hearsay did not render the trial unfair in terms of art 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
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
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
With gender earnings inequality at the Bar getting worse, not better, Judith Ayling KC discusses concrete solutions and collective action – including steps taken by the Personal Injuries Bar Association
There is no typical day in the life as a Supreme Court judicial assistant, says Josephine Gillingwater, and that’s what makes the role so enjoyably diverse
