October 1, 2021
Congratulations to Professor Laura Hoyano ( Oxford University and Red Lion Chambers) who has been co-opted onto the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) Executive Committee and the Legal Reform Group in the CBA by the new Chair Jo Sidhu QC. The Executive Committee will meet once a month to discuss and decide main issues of the moment. The Legal Reform Working Group exists to respond to government and offer crucial guidance on Law Reform. Laura has been representing the CBA on the Cross-Government End-to-Rape Review for the past two and half years.
In December 2018 Laura published a high-profile study of the operation of cross-examination of sexual offences complainants on their previous sexual behaviour (under section 41 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999) which had been commissioned by the CBA: [Please see here]. This was the largest empirical study ever conducted on how controls on cross-examination on sexual history actually operate in practice, including out-of-court discussions and agreements between counsel, and was unique in obtaining the full perspective on section 41 from prosecuting and defence barristers, instead of relying upon what could be observed by researchers in open court.
Jo Sidhu QC writing in the “Monday Message 27.09.21” recognised the service of RLC member Professor David Ormerod QC as an outgoing member of the Committee and welcomed Professor Laura Hoyano to the Committee:
“We all owe David our sincere gratitude for his immense service to the CBA through his work on the Education and Training Committee. After 17 years of exceptional research and output he is finally stepping down. We are nonetheless pleased that he has accepted the title of “Honorary Academic Consultant”. Although he is irreplaceable, we are incredibly fortunate that Professor Laura Hoyano has accepted an invitation to join the CBA’s Education and Training Committee and our Law Reform Working Group. Laura has been a stalwart of the CBA over many years and injected formidable intellectual rigour into our responses on a range of issues, not least the Rape Review where her contribution was exceptional. We are currently preparing our own submissions on the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill in which Laura will again be playing a leading role.”
Laura said:
“I am delighted to have been asked to serve on the Executive Committee as well as the Legal Reform Group and look forward to continuing to work with the CBA and supporting their work in bringing criminal justice issues to the forefront of public debate. The CBA has a uniquely balanced and informed view of the criminal justice system, as its members prosecute and defend – many of them doing both in their practice.”
To read the Monday message please see: [Monday Message]
For more information please see: [Criminal Bar]