“I’m always struck by the commitment and engagement of our speakers, commentators and attendees, on every occasion. The problems which beset the criminal justice system, creaking as it is under the weight of chronic underfunding, sometimes seem to be intractable. Yet, the Assize Seminars give me hope. The diverse experience within the room always leads to greater understanding at least of the nature of the problems we face and that’s a necessary step along the way to workable solutions,” said Dr Rachel Tolley, who is John Collier Fellow and College Associate Professor in Law at Trinity Hall.
Opening the Seminar was Dr Hend Hanafy, Assistant Professor of Criminal Law at the University of Cambridge, who put forward a compelling discussion on whether state misconduct undermines the legitimacy of the state when sentencing offenders and if so, whether sentencing mitigation might be an appropriate remedy. Professor Julian Roberts of the Centre for Criminology at the University of Oxford provided a comment on the paper and the panel discussion which followed was moderated by Dr Mark Dsouza, Associate Professor in Law at UCL.
In the second session, chaired by Dr Tolley, Dr Kate Leader’s paper, and the discussion that followed, explored how vulnerability and victimisation can affect a suspect or defendant’s ability to participate fully in the criminal justice process and to mount an adequate defence. The Resident Judge of Cambridge and Peterborough, HHJ Mark Bishop, provided the comment.
The final session of the day, chaired by Paul Jarvis of 6 KBW/College Hill and the Criminal Bar Association, was delivered by Professor Rebecca Helm where she explained why innocent people might plead guilty and what we might do about it, drawing insights from the Post Office/Horizon scandal. Jacob Hallam KC provided the comment. Discussion of all three papers continued after the close of the Seminar.
“The recent Assize Seminar was a fantastic success – the papers were fascinating and timely, and provoked substantive and constructive discussion. It was a real pleasure for me to organise the Seminar at Trinity Hall, not only because we have a first-rate Conference and Events team who provide excellent and invaluable support, but because I can think of nowhere better to host an event intended to bridge the divide between academia and legal practice than a college founded for the study of law.”
