December 18, 2025
The annual Criminal Bar Association Winter Conference took place on 6 December 2025 with real presence from RLC.
The Conference opened with a strong commitment from Riel Karmy-Jones KC, Chair of the CBA, to working together to protect the right to jury trial and raise the lack of evidence that its reduction will impact the backlog.
This sense of united opposition to that which is unprincipled carried through into the powerful extended keynote address by HH Geoffrey Rivlin KC which followed his successful piece for RLC’s Focus blog (found here). In this address, HH Rivlin KC considered other proposals by the Leveson report and the more recent government announcement; the strength of his arguments was reflected in the multiple rounds of applause and standing ovation! The address highlighted the lack of attention given to how two very different systems of justice may sit side by side, particularly in relation to trials for the same offence, questioning whether there would be equal justice. A cross-jurisdictional analysis was conducted, referring to systems in Australia and Canada and issues were raised concerning the suggested three-year custodial sentence cut-off point and the unworkability of judge-alone trials. HH Rivlin KC also provided a pertinent reminder to give thought to the judiciary who will also be heavily impacted by reforms and are at greater risk of becoming targets from unpopular decisions. A lightly edited version of the paper has now been published on the Focus blog (found here).
In parallel, concern from the Bench about the wellbeing of the Bar was brought forward by HHJ Anuja Dhir KC in her keynote speech. HHJ Dhir KC reminded attendees of the changes and progress the profession has made in a short space of time. In careful recognition of the pressures now placed on practitioners, HHJ Dhir KC noted that the Bar is a marathon run at the pace of a sprint and in such circumstances, rest is not an indulgence but a necessity.
The Conference continued with legal update sessions in a range of practice areas. Tom Forster KC provided updates on fraud, emphasising the importance of getting it right first time and the consequences that can follow from failure to do so. Tom distilled complex legal developments, including the groundbreaking World Uyghyr Congress v NCA case in which he appeared as counsel, into accessible and transferrable lessons to assist practitioners to ensure their cases ‘get it right first time’. When looking at what will shape the fraud landscape in the coming years, Tom touched on s199 of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA) as well as the FCA’s approach to enforcement.
Maya Sikand KC and Janey Starling delivered a sobering talk on sentencing mothers and pregnant women, emphasising the important role advocates play in ensuring fair sentences are imposed. The talk highlighted that all pregnancies in prison are high risk pregnancies given the limited support available in custody, not least due to the minimal number of prison mother and baby units. It was emphasised that when acting in such cases, granular details are needed.
Barnaby Jameson KC and Theo Burges provided a national security update, educating attendees on the history of security related offences, dating back to the 1800s and how these have evolved to address modern threats, examining the recent cases including R v Khalife, R v Ivanova & Ors and R v Berry & Cash. Barnaby and Theo’s analysis predicts that this is an area that will only grow in future, making their talk all the more important for practitioners to understand this expanding field.
Kate Aubrey-Johnson and Jo Schofield informed attendees about the growing area of age assessments, dispelling the numerous myths about putative children and the way in which age can be assessed. This highlighted the complexity of the area, principally how there is no silver bullet and that the process requires careful assessment of many types of evidence to provide a best estimate. Practitioners were reminded of the importance of raising the issue early and appreciating the nuance of the process which sits to a degree ‘outside’ of criminal proceedings.
The conference concluded with a talk on the Sentencing Bill by Professor Julian Roberts, particularly pertinent following recent focus on the use of custodial sentences and impact on the backlog. Professor Roberts highlighted that inflation in the remand population is a result of increases in sentence length as opposed to rates of imprisonment. As a result, the potential impact of a presumption against short prison sentences on prison over-crowding can be questioned, certainly an area to watch in 2026.
The Winter Conference provided an opportunity for reflection on the challenges and developments of the year with a close eye on how these are likely to impact practitioners moving into 2026. Most telling of all was a reminder of the unity and encouragement that exists across the profession with members at all levels of call giving up their time on a Saturday to share their experience and learn together.
Katie Bacon & Basanti Mardemootoo ( pupil barrister)
Katie Bacon is a member of the CBA Education & Training Committee which organised the Conference and was greatly assisted on the day by Basanti Mardemootoo (RLC pupil barrister)