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On 22nd August 2014, Lincoln Crown Court allowed the appeal against conviction of our client T on the grounds that he was a victim of human trafficking. T was a minor when he was convicted of cannabis cultivation charges. Philippa Southwell of Birds Solicitors and…

This is an extract from our response to the legal aid consultation paper dealing with “Procurement of Criminal Legal Aid services” Duty and Own Client Contracts This split has never applied to any contract previously. This proposal does not have the support of solicitors firms…

This is an extract from our firm’s response to the Consultation document: Transforming Legal Aid The Next Steps. It argues that there is no financial case for the proposed changes. We are constantly told that we live in times of austerity and no-one can be…

Below are the fee cuts in London on police station work which demonstrates that the average cut will be 35% on – twice the 17.5% claimed by Government. Unacceptable, unsustainable and it is time for this charade to stop. Grayling has form for misusing statistics.…

So Price Competitive Tendering is dead in the water. We can be thankful for that but frankly, it could never have worked and even this Government realised that in the end. What we seem to have in its place is a crude cut of 17.5%…

On 26th July 2013, Coventry Crown Court allowed the appeal against conviction of R v HT on the grounds that he was a victim of human trafficking. HT was a minor when he was convicted of cannabis cultivation charges in June 2012. Philippa Southwell of…

We recently acted in this important hearsay evidence case which eventually, after 8 years of litigation, reminds both the Court of Appeal and the legal profession of the importance of looking behind the hearsay provisions of the Criminal Justice Act 2003. The history: • Tahery…

Victim of Human Trafficking Wins Appeal Against Conviction On the 26th June 2014 The Court of Appeal quashed the conviction of our client FE, for possession of an identity document with improper intention. FE was trafficked to the UK and had been sexually exploited. We…

On 21st June 2013 the Court of Appeal quashed the conviction of THN for cultivation of cannabis in a very important and potentially far reaching decision. The court recognised that victims of human trafficking should not be prosecuted and criminalised for offences committed whilst under…

Norman Lamb MP is a Liberal Democrat and the current Minister for Care and Support. He is also an ex-employment lawyer. On 13th June as I was driving back to London from Wayland prison (ironically close to if not in his constituency) I heard him…