The Western Circuit

YCBA Spring Conference 2024 Our YCBA Spring Conference will be announced in the new year. It will be dedicated to members under 7 years’ Call and we hope to provide resources at the Conference to support, guide and cheer all Junior criminal barristers.  Chair Tana Adkin YCBA Lecture I was delighted to join Emma Fielding of the YCBA as she welcomed HHJ Avik Mukherjee and Mrs. Justice Bobbie Cheema-Grubb to our first YCBA lecture.  They delivered guidance on effective opening and closing speeches to our members with reminders of our core duties as professionals, the need for neutrality and improvements on delivery.  We thank both for giving up their time and for providing some extremely useful tips!

Ask anybody in the street to talk about a barrister and the barrister they’ll talk about is a criminal barrister They’ll see the role that we play is absolutely central to our democracy, to our society, to our civic society #CriminalJusticeMatters #podcast criminalbar.com/resources/po… @jaimerh354 Jamie Hamilton KC with Laurie-Anne Power KC and @Kirsty_Brimelow Kirsty Brimelow KC Tune in for more

The increase in CPS fees came into effect on 2nd May 2023 
All changes will apply to existing and new cases from 2nd May 2023 and to new or ongoing VHCC stages 
In summary: •All CPS fee rates increased by 15% Including GFS VHCC magistrates’ court Youth court arrangements ⤵️

Lawyers + commentators from across political spectrum need to step away from bashing the criminal justice system into a political football
🚦Otherwise it will roll across the field of gesture politics, lined with lofty declarations, to be kicked by lynch mobs against barristers

“We need to reengage with that memory as we continue shaping medium and long-term reform of our criminal justice system in crisis My hand is extended The ladder remains firmly down as We go forward Happy #InternationalWomensDay! @Kirsty_Brimelow #1BarNone insights.doughtystreet.co.uk…