Discussing the recent case of Lawrance on deception in relation to HIV in sexual offences, the decision in Rowe and how it affects the decriminalisation of HIV and the implications for transmission of COVID-19, we consider how public health issues need not give rise to criminal responsibility. Presented by Professor Felicity Gerry QC and Professor Matthew Weait FAcSS – Felicity defended the first prosecution for intentional transmission of HIV and has long experience of appearing in cases involving serious sexual offences. She is co-author of The Sexual Offences Handbook (3rd Ed forthcoming) and in 2020 she published two reference guides on the COVID-19 pandemic legislation in both England and Australia. Matthew is an internationally recognised expert on HIV and the law and was a Technical Advisor to the Global Commission on HIV and the Law (2012). He is the author of Intimacy and Responsibility: the Criminalisation of HIV Transmission (Routledge, 2007), and numerous articles on this topic. You can find the webinar here or watch it below. To stay up to date with insight articles, webinars, and chamber news why not subscribe to Libertas Lens (our periodic newsletter) – Click here to register

With over 24 million people who are reported to be in forced labour, and $150 billion dollars of illicit profits being generated globally per year, we really need to know more about modern slavery. We often hear terms such as ‘corporate responsibility’ and ‘supply chains’, but what does modern slavery look like in this day and age? And in what forms does it exist? How are corporates expected to find out if they have the exploitation of people in their supply chains? Find out by listening to our host Hatti Suvari and senior Barrister, Felicity Gerry QC in this eye-opening, revealing and shocking conversation! Below you’ll find a 1-minute YouTube introduction to whet the appetite and the full podcast.   Simply hit play to listen to the full episode now.

Discussing the petition for Alex Henry and the issues for those living with autism and facing criminal charges, we consider how substantive law and procedural adaptations could benefit from approaches adopted in evidence -based healthcare. Presented by Professor Felicity Gerry QC and Professor Andrew Rowland and Dr Clare Allely: 1. Felicity has defended a range of accused persons living with autism in cases involving complex offending such as terrorism and homicide. She drafted the current petition for mercy for Alex Henry who was convicted of murder without the jury knowing he lives with autism. Felicity is a contributor to several publications on vulnerability in justice systems, most recently in the New Law Journal on Trauma Informed Courts. 2. Professor Andrew Rowland has been qualified as a doctor for just under 21 years. He has a portfolio career as an NHS Medical Director, Consultant in Children’s Emergency Medicine in Manchester, Honorary Professor in the School of Health and Society at the University of Salford, Non-Executive Director of an international non-governmental organisation in Cambodia (M’Lop Tapang) and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of a registered charity in England and Wales (SicKids). Andrew has specific interests in children’s advocacy, children’s rights law, development of early warning systems in emergency medicine and safeguarding vulnerable people. His PhD thesis explored “building child safe communities with children and young people at their hearts”. 3. Dr Clare Allely is a Reader in Forensic Psychology at the University of Salford in Manchester, England and is an affiliate member of the Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre at Gothenburg University, Sweden. Clare holds a PhD in Psychology from the University of Manchester and has previously graduated with an MA (hons.) in Psychology from the University of Glasgow, an MRes in Psychological Research Methods from the University of Strathclyde and an MSc in Forensic Psychology from Glasgow Caledonian University. Clare is also an Honorary Research Fellow in the College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences affiliated to the Institute of Health and Wellbeing at the University of Glasgow. She is also an Associate of the Centre for Youth and Criminal Justice (CYCJ) at the University of Strathclyde. Clare’s primary research projects and interests include the pathway to intended violence in mass shooters; serial homicide; investigating how autism symptomology can contribute to different types of offending behaviour and autism in the criminal justice system (police, court, prison and secure psychiatric care). Clare also acts as an expert witness in criminal cases and HCPC fitness to practice cases and also contributes to the evidence base used in the courts on psychology and legal issues through her published work. Her specialist areas for expert witness work include Autism and offending. Register today – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/autism-and-the-criminal-law-registration-144627401451 To ensure you don’t miss out on future events please register for our newsletter by clicking here.

Sentencing update: Codes, drugs and guns…a round table discussion with James Walker, Sarah Day, and Marie Spenwyn of Libertas Chambers examining the key features of recent developments in sentencing. Register today: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/codes-drugs-and-guns-sentencing-update-registration-144691535277 To ensure you don’t miss out on future events please register for our newsletter by clicking here. This event has finished. To find the recording and any updates, click here

The Criminal Law on Viruses and Deception Discussing the recent case of Lawrance on deception in relation to HIV in sexual offences, the decision in Rowe and how it affects the decriminalisation of HIV and the implications for transmission of COVID-19, we consider how public health issues need not give rise to criminal responsibility. Presented by Professor Felicity Gerry QC and Professor Matthew Weait FAcSS – Felicity defended the first prosecution for intentional transmission of HIV and has long experience of appearing in cases involving serious sexual offences. She is co-author of The Sexual Offences Handbook (3rd Ed forthcoming) and in 2020 she published two reference guides on the COVID-19 pandemic legislation in both England and Australia. Matthew is an internationally recognised expert on HIV and the law and was a Technical Advisor to the Global Commission on HIV and the Law (2012). He is the author of Intimacy and Responsibility: the Criminalisation of HIV Transmission (Routledge, 2007), and numerous articles on this topic. Register here – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-criminal-law-on-viruses-and-deception-registration-139939004329 To ensure you don’t miss out on future events please register for our newsletter by clicking here. This event has finished – if you would like to watch the recording you can find it here

There is often more than one crime scene in a homicide. In addition to where the body was found, there may be the scene where the earlier assault took place or where a body has been moved as well as the blood trail. We will be discussing how you can study the crime scene to answer the question – What was really going on here? We will be looking at cold case reviews, how cases went wrong and how to put them right. Siobhan Grey QC is a barrister specialising in homicide cases on behalf of the Defence. Tracy Alexander has worked in forensic science since 1992. Her original post with the Met Police Service Directorate of Forensic Services incorporated fingerprint expertise and crime scene skills after which she progressed to working on major homicide investigations. She was the head of the Forensic Intelligence Bureau where she worked on multiple projects including the National Ballistics Intelligence Service and DNA search tools for mass fatalities. Her current post is Director of Forensic Services at the City of London Police, which comprises high tech digital and cyber crime, coronial investigations, scenes of crime, fingerprint bureau, chemical enhancement laboratory and collision investigation unit. Tracy is a Fellow of King’s College London, the President of British Academy of Forensic Scientists, a trustee and advisory panel member of Inside Justice and a member of the Chartered Society of Forensic Scientists.   To ensure you don’t miss out on future events please register for our newsletter by clicking here.

Discussing what is believed to be the first criminal trial where the principle of overwhelming supervening act (OSA) was left to a jury, Felicity Gerry QC and Associate Professor Beatrice Krebs consider how there can be no case to answer in a murder trial. The decision in R v Jogee [2016] UKSC 8 was widely reported and hailed as a ‘moment of genuine legal history’, raised the hopes of hundreds of prisoners and remains widely misunderstood. This lecture examines Jogee, subsequent Court of Appeal decisions and recent trials in the area of complicity and explains how to limit expansive liability in murder and manslaughter and how juries should be directed on remoteness. Info on speakers In 2020 Felicity secured an acquittal in the OSA trial. In 2017 she successfully secured a terminating ruling in a murder alleged as joint principalship and in 2016 she led for the Appellant in R v Jogee [2016] UKSC 8, when the UK Supreme Court fundamentally changed the law of accessorial liability deciding that the principles of joint enterprise had been misinterpreted for over 30 years. Beatrice was a key expert assisting on the Jogee appeal and has since published her edited collection: Accessorial Liability After Jogee [https://www.bloomsburyprofessional.com/uk/accessorial-liability-after-jogee-9781509918904/].   To ensure you don’t miss out on future events please register for our newsletter by clicking here.

Sentencing and Mental Health – an advocacy-focused approach to the new guideline. Marie Spenwyn and Dr Bradley Hillier FRCPsych, Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist present a zoom lecture at 6pm A focus on the new sentencing guideline “Sentencing offenders with mental disorders, developmental disorders, or neurological impairments” with input from an expert witness as to how seek to focus on areas such as the under-used Mental Health Treatment Requirement disposal, the difficulties in utilising the same and how to most effectively bring the courts attention to the value of treatment in the community rather than reliance on mental health in-reach teams in prison. This webinar has been finished. You can find the update here