Emilene Davis

Criminal Barrister | All views expressed are my own

[Albion Chambers @AlbionChambers]

Another very strong performance in the Legal 500 rankings for Albion Chambers this year, with a total of 42 rankings, 9 more than last year. Of these rankings, 17 were Tier 1.

Full details can be found below.

#legal500 #albionchambers

https://t.co/JD8c1hHbZG

[The Secret Barrister 🦋 @BarristerSecret]

Why did Huw Edwards avoid prison?

Is this evidence of “two-tier justice”?

Let’s take a quick look. 🧵

TLDR: This is an entirely expected sentence for offences of this type.

[The CBA @TheCriminalBar]

For barristers starting criminal practice pupillage

Welcome to the Criminal Bar.

This is fulfilling, vital work.
You are now contributing to
an essential public service
Thank you.

Do right

Fear none

Our shared future is
in your capable hands.

We support you all the way.

[The CBA @TheCriminalBar]

“A spokesman for the Criminal Bar Association, which represents barristers working in the magistrates’ and crown courts, said: “Prisons are full because for 18 months criminal barristers have done what is required prosecuting and defending, getting trials done. That’s why the sentenced prisoner population is up 5,000 to over 71,000. But remand is up 2,000 to around 16,500 from worsening trial and sentencing delays due to underfunding and chronic shortages of criminal barristers that is still to be addressed.”

@thetimes https://t.co/yhXB6MViOt

organisations representing lawyers and other criminal justice practitioners warned that the latest measures would cause more chaos in the criminal justice system, which is underfunded, understaffed and struggling with the aftershocks of the pandemic.

Tom Wheatley, president of the Prison Governors’ Association, said that it was inevitable that the delay in bail hearings would increase the risk to the public. He told Times Radio: “I don’t think we’re talking about there being no risk to no increased risk to the public. You can’t let out large numbers of people on a very short lead in time without there being some increased risk.”
Nick Hardwick, former chief inspector of prisons and chair of the parole board, told Times Radio that “mistakes will be made” by the increased pressure on prisons to release inmates to free up space.
Nick Emmerson, president of the Law Society, the professional body for some 160,000 solicitors in England and Wales, said the society was urgently seeking more information from the Ministry of Justice to understand the implications of Operation Early Dawn.
“Victims, witnesses, defendants and lawyers will today turn up at magistrates’ courts across England only to find out that their cases have been delayed due to a crisis in prison and police cell capacity outside of their control,” he said. “As of now, we understand that this pattern will be repeated every day that this emergency measure is in place.”

Daniel Bonich, chairman of the Criminal Law Solicitors Association, said the association was “disappointed about the lack of clear information from the Ministry of Justice about how it expects [the scheme] to operate. The fact that such emergency measures have had to be triggered is a symptom of just how appalling the state of our entire criminal justice system is following decades of neglect.”
Shabana Mahmood, the shadow justice secretary, said: “The Tories continue to make major and unprecedented changes to the justice system without so much as a word to the public. It’s completely unacceptable and the public will be alarmed at this latest panic measure.”

[Emilene Davis @EmileneDavis]

I was one of the judges in the @CardiffLaw Charity Mooting Competition to raise funds for @SupportTCourt . The competition was fierce, with all participants competing to a high standard. I was particularly impressed with the finalists, whose performances were outstanding.

[Emilene Davis @EmileneDavis]

I had the pleasure of attending the @exeterlawsoc’s Annual Bar Dinner and meeting aspiring barristers with @AnjGohil as part of our work with @BarNone2020 .

It was a fantastic event and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting students with a geniune commitment to a career at the Bar.

[Emilene Davis @EmileneDavis]

#C4TheJury at best, this programme has been irresponsible in failing to provide the juries with proper instruction and staging the show for entertainment purposes. However, I fear it is a deliberate attempt to undermine the public’s confidence in the jury system.

[Emilene Davis @EmileneDavis]

#C4TheJury clearly did not provide any directions to the juries. One juror essentially said the victim is dead so it’s murder not manslaughter. Also, why do they think they have to come to a unanimous decision? They must try to but they do not have to.

[Max Hardy @MaxJLHardy]

Here's a blog I've written about why I'm not watching TV's The Jury: https://t.co/3rn0HKS4VW

[Emilene Davis @EmileneDavis]

#C4TheJury had the potential to be a very interesting and important experiment which could have provided a real insight into the jury room. Instead it’s focused on the jurors’ backstories with very little of the trial featured. Missed opportunity 👎🏽

[Emilene Davis @EmileneDavis]

Listening to the jurors disregard the evidence and make this trial about themselves like #C4TheJury

[Emilene Davis @EmileneDavis]

These jurors - oh my 🤦🏽‍♀️ The first episode about half the jurors were sure of guilt having heard the opening without any evidence. Episode two, jurors are deciding they don’t believe UNCHALLENGED evidence. #C4TheJury

[Max Hardy @MaxJLHardy]

Today I handed my pupil on to their next supervisor and am feeling a little like I've lost a limb. Here is a tribute I've written to pupils and pupillage (with an honourable mention for @edwardhenry1): https://t.co/wBL00YxHXk

[The CBA @TheCriminalBar]

“It’s not a question of harsher sentencing, or softer sentencing, that’s a sterile question Madam deputy Speaker, what we really ought to be talking about is smarter sentencing…”
@neill_bob, chair @CommonsJustice, to @HouseofCommons on
the Sentencing Bill
and
#rehabilitation

[Albion Chambers @AlbionChambers]

Albion Chambers were delighted to be awarded the Chambers of the Year at the Bristol Law Society Award Ceremony last night.

Congratulations to everyone at Albion on this fantastic achievement.

#BristolLawSociety #AlbionChambers

https://t.co/l0aW9mN25x

[Albion Chambers @AlbionChambers]

Albion Chambers are pleased with the latest Chambers & Partners rankings, receiving a total of 26 rankings, of which 10 were in the highest band.

#AlbionChambers #ChambersandPartners

https://t.co/SGBgxowgZa

[Emilene Davis @EmileneDavis]

Delighted to share that I have accepted tenancy with Albion Chambers. I am so grateful for the support, kindness and excellent tutelage I have received during my pupillage. Very excited to continue to build my criminal practice in such a reputable set.
https://t.co/e4pc1ysYAN

[The CBA @TheCriminalBar]

“The latest figures for the backlog are the worst that have ever been.
Rather than focusing on putting 2 years on a whole life tariff, I would rather the government focus on actually getting trials underway…so there isn’t a backlog of almost 64,000 cases”
@K80bex @Channel4News

[The CBA @TheCriminalBar]

The final CBA on Tour completes in Bristol.
Thanks to Ray Tully and @GuildhallLaw, Guildhall Chambers, for organising a warm welcome for the CBA Chair.
Good luck to the criminal pupils!