Grade 4 prosecutors are to be allowed to conduct appeals into unduly lenient sentences (ULS), currently the preserve of Treasury Counsel, the Attorney General has announced. A six-month pilot programme will begin this month. Attorney General Jeremy Wright QC MP says: “This trial extension is a great opportunity for experienced lawyers to develop their skills further while preserving the continued effective operation of the ULS scheme.” ULS casework has increased by 83% since 2010, up from 342 sentences to 674 in 2014.
07 January 2016
Unduly lenient sentences
MOVERS & SHAKERS
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 boosts Southampton commercial property team with addition of partner Lee Edwards
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
A polished legal defence may owe more to artificial intelligence than legal merit—and creditors risk paying the price in delay and expense
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
The Environment Agency can prosecute offences beyond environmental legislation where proceedings support its statutory functions, the Divisional Court has confirmed
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