Legal News Round-Up – June 2024
What else made the headlines in the month of June?…
Well, we said last month we hoped we were heading for some better weather and whilst we did have 2 or 3 nice days, we’re still waiting for summer to truly arrive.
So, what better way to while away these cold, light summer evenings, than to settle by the fire and have a read through some of the law articles we didn’t get chance to cover last month.
Part-time immigration tribunal judge jailed for £1.8m legal aid scam
Barrister Rasib Ghaffar has been sentenced to 3 years’ imprisonment for his involvement in a £1.8m legal aid fraud.
Ghaffar was one of four convicted including 2 solicitors and a legal clark – of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation.
Focussing on four cases arising from the legal costs of four cleared defendants which totalled £1,856,584 – of which a quarter – £469,477 – was paid out.
Ghaffar was found to be responsible for a fee note in his name for £184,000 for 350 hours work, despite being instructed only SEVEN days before the conclusion of the case.
With Legal Aid on such thin ground at the moment, it is little surprise this case stands out.
To read more about the article in The Law Gazette, click here.
Double-Jeopardy Killer’s parole hearing delayed.
The last-minute adjournment of the parole hearing of a convicted killer has been labelled a “sheer disgrace” by the victim’s family.
It was a ground-breaking case back in 2006 when William “Billy” Dunlop was convicted of the murder of Julie Hogg in 1989 following boasts he made having been cleared twice when a jury failed to reach a verdict both times.
Dunlop was sentenced to jail for life as the Double Jeopardy laws were overturned following a long campaign by Miss Hogg’s mother.
The parole hearing was delayed by the Parole Board, citing that new information had come to light which needed to be thoroughly investigated to “ensure the hearing was fair for all parties”.
The Ministry of Justice however, said they have not requested an adjournment.
The parole hearing is to determine whether Dunlop is to remain behind bars, transfer to an open prison or be released.
You can find out more in the full article on the BBC website by clicking here.
Sex Predators Operating in Police Force “Within Plain Sight” Claims Former Police Inspector
Also on the BBC website last month was the startling admission by Rebecca Kalam – who served with the West Midlands’ Police Force in the firearms unit – claiming that she wouldn’t “trust some police around family.”
Ms. Kalam – who won a tribunal case against the force – said that measures to tackle multiple instances of sexist, racist and abusive behaviours were simply not being addressed following a report into Sarah Everard’s killer, former Met officer Wayne Couzens, that found police “repeatedly failed” to spot warning signs about his unsuitability for the role.
Having had a male colleague expose their genitals to her and having been forced to strip to her underwear as part of a training exercise as part of the complaints held – Ms. Kalam said enough was not being done, despite the reports warnings.
Deputy Chief Constable Scott Green from the West Midlands force said however;
“There is no place in policing for misogynistic, discriminatory or disrespectful behaviour. Much progress has been made to set and reinforce the highest standards of conduct and professionalism.”
To read the full article, click here.
Asasange Walks Free After Pleading Guilty to Espionage Charge.
You may have seen that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has walked free from prison after pleading guilty to violating the US espionage laws which had lead to him spending 62 months in Belmarsh prison.
As the extraordinary legal battled concluded, Assange was released from prison to appear in the US’ smallest court in the Pacific island of Saipan – where he pleaded guilty to one criminal count of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified US national defence documents.
In return for this, Assange was sentenced to time served and free to walk.
To find out more about what Assange was in prison for and specifics of the case, head over to the Guardian website here.
And Finally – Woman who served 43 years behind bars has conviction overturned.
A Missouri woman who has spent 43 years in prison has had her conviction overturned.
Sandra Hemme – now 63 – was put in prison in 1980 for the murder aged 20 and was a Psychiatric patient at the time.
The harrowing story came to a conclusion in the middle of last month when a judge overturned her conviction, citing that the establishment of recent evidence illustrated actual innocence.
They also were critical of the trial counsel and that the prosecution failed to present evidence which would have helped Hemme.
You can read the full extent of this incredible story here.
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