It is very important that everyone who is a criminal practitioner completes this survey into prosecution disclosure failure and failure of the courts to enforce the law and rules by holding the prosecution to account. Please send this link to every lawyer you know be they solicitors/ILEX or Counsel. Send to your firm an others. Send to your chambers and others.By this survey we will confront the legal establishment with the reality of what actually is happening with huge cost to Justice and the public purse.
The Government cannot have it both ways. If they insist on compliance by the defence with the law and the Criminal Procedure Rules they must ensure compliance by the Crown and deal with the Court failure to hold the Prosecution to account on disclosure. This is not a technical or 'nit picking' point but goes to the heart of our Justice system.
The rules are there to ensure fairness and efficiency. They are there to maintain balance. It is the right of all citizens to know the case against them when prosecuted. Disclosure should be full and timely. The rules state that. To be meaningful the courts must begin to give effect to the rules.
Further the rules need strengthening to ensure the courts no longer avoid enforcing them. If they are not strengthened the courts will continue to facilitate and enable disclosure abuse thus bring the laws and rules into disrepute.
This survey we hope will provide such overwhelming evidence of the system failing that the pressure for reform will become irresistible and failure to act clearly exposed and shameful to those who will not listen.
This is your chance in this area to change the course of legal history and to engage in beneficial reform. Please click on this link below.
http://www.clsa.co.uk/index.php?q=clsa-disclosure-survey but also send it you people in your e mail address book, your friends on Face book or tweet the link on twitter. Maximum participation adds weight and makes the campaign for reform unstoppable. We can do this. We shall prevail. We will turn the tide against the erosion of justice.
Robin Murray
MINTED LAW 