John Keown
John Keown believes post Purdy guidance threatens public safety & undermines justice
It is one thing for the courts to protect citizens from the arbitrary use of prosecutorial discretion resulting in abuse of process; quite another to require prosecutors to spell out the public interest criteria they will apply in relation to particular crimes, not least to particular instances of particular crimes. Circumstances are infinitely variable, especially when a case is hypothetical. Ms Purdy may never be assisted in suicide, by her husband or anyone else. For all we know, she may—like Mrs Pretty—end up dying a natural death in an English hospice. In short, Purdy seems unprecedented, unsound and unconstitutional.
MOVERS & SHAKERS
NLJ career profile: Liz McGrath KC
A good book, a glass of chilled Albarino, and being creative for pleasure help Liz McGrath balance the rigours of complex bundles and being Head of Chambers
Burges Salmon—Matthew Hancock-Jones
Firm welcomes director in its financial services financial regulatory team
Gateley Legal—Sam Meiklejohn
Partner appointment in firm’s equity capital markets team
Walkers and runners will take in some of London’s finest views at the 16th annual charity event
Law school partners with charity to give free assistance to litigants in need
Could the Labour government usher in a new era for digital assets, ask Keith Oliver, head of international, and Amalia Neenan FitzGerald, associate, Peters & Peters, in this week’s NLJ
An extra bit is being added to case citations to show the pecking order of the judges concerned. Former district judge Stephen Gold has the details, in his ‘Civil way’ column in this week’s NLJ
The Labour government’s position on alternative dispute resolution (ADR) is not yet clear
