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03 April 2008 / Roger Smith
Issue: 7315 / Categories: Features , Public , Legal services , Constitutional law
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The NLJ Column

Constitutional Reform

Crime, punishment and lacklustre constitutional reform

Ian Norris always had a better case to resist extradition to the than the “Nat West Three”. His reward was to succeed where they did not: halting—or at least delaying—his departure for trial in the . The Nat West Three—David Bermingham, Gary Mulgrew and Giles Darby—ran a highly visible, but ultimately unsuccessful, campaign against their extradition requests. However, in the end, the three pleaded guilty to the district court in and, on 27 February, were jailed for 37 months each in relation to a £7.3m fraud. In doing so, a considerable amount of humble pie was consumed as the defendants respectively told the court: “My conduct in this matter fell well below the standards expected”; “We lacked integrity“; and “I didn’t realise the implications”. The threesome’s case was based on the fact that the US–UK extradition treaty does not require the authorities to show any prima facie case against them to a court and,

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Bell Yard Kysen—Liz Giles

Bell Yard Kysen—Liz Giles

Bell Yard Kysen appoints senior legal PR and ex-government communications adviser, Liz Giles

Clarke Willmott—Lee Edwards

Clarke Willmott—Lee Edwards

Clarke Willmott boosts Southampton commercial property team with addition of partner Lee Edwards

Lime Solicitors—four promotions

Lime Solicitors—four promotions

Lime Solicitors announces four promotions

NEWS
The Attorney General, Ellie Reeves KC MP, and Solicitor General, Andy Slaughter KC MP, marked the 25th anniversary of Pro Bono Week by joining lawyers, charities, students and parliamentarians at events celebrating voluntary legal work
Witness evidence can be compromised by AI before a solicitor sees the draft, leaving safeguards focused on authorship incomplete
Possession claims are entering a new digital era, with procedural traps awaiting practitioners who assume familiar rules still govern every step
A polished legal defence may owe more to artificial intelligence than legal merit—and creditors risk paying the price in delay and expense
An indemnity costs battle with a £20m gap could reopen an important question: what weight should an approved budget carry?
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