Nigel Edwards leading Ed Lucas has been instructed via direct access for a £36m Poca. The case is complex with tens of thousands of pages of financial of information, a team of Forensic Accountants have been instructed and a Solicitor, Ian Anderson of Ison Harrison Solicitors Leeds, has been appointed and instructed to litigate. Chambers undertakes a multitude of Direct access cases, those of any significant complexity are almost invariably referred to Solicitors where funding is available to do so. Mr. Edwards is a specialist expert in this area and has been so recognised since the inception of POCA 2002 and those which preceded it. 

Nigel Edwards QC leading Ayesha Smart and Annahita Moradi secured justice for a sexual abuse survivor against a major institution. Through lengthy and complicated challenges involving issues of human rights law and victims' rights, the legal team secured specific sensitive disclosure in redacted form. This will include detailed recommendations as to the institution's lessons learned and future treatment of survivors of sexual abuse. The legal team will challenge any further issues arising therein as to how the institution proposes to treat survivors’ allegations, welfare and rights in future. 

Gwen Williamson appeared a Peterborough Crown Court for trial this week with a client alleged to have committed an assault by beating, followed by a section 18. The Crown alleged that defendant was the aggressor, had punched the complainant, loosening his teeth and then a little while later purposely driven his car at the victim running him down causing really serious injuries. The jury rejected this accepting that in the first instance the defendant was acting in self-defence and finding him not guilty of the assault and that he did not have the intention required for the section 18 again finding him not guilty, but the jury were of the view that the defendant was reckless in his driving and convicted in the defendant of section 20 (the lessor alternative). The case has been adjourned to allow for reports prior to sentencing. 

Emma Scott represented a vulnerable client at trial charged with 6 Counts of sexual activity with a child family member (who was under 13 years of age).  After a socially distanced trial lasting four days, which included cross-examination of  child witnesses and evidence from Emma’s vulnerable client, Emma’s client was acquitted of all 6 Counts.

Annahita Moradi is due to deliver another workshop next week for legal charities offering victim support services. The workshop will involve a discussion about police duties towards victims of modern slavery and human trafficking, and how charities can further support victims of exploitation and crime by holding the police to account for failures to comply with international and domestic law.

Please keep an eye on chambers website and social media accounts for some important announcements to be made on behalf of the crime team next week.

Have a good weekend all!

Jamie