THE CRISIS IN JUSTICE: WILL INDEPENDENT ADVOCATES FOR RAPE VICTIMS MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE? Paul Harris The new government have had their first party conference. And for those waiting for some clue about solving the justice crisis there was little other...
The Court of Appeal has ordered a retrial of Shila Keshvari’s client in a historic sexual offence. The anonymised judgment has been reported and published here, R v VA [2016] EWCA Crim 1434.
Shila Keshvari instructed Mr Joel Bennathan QC of Doughty Street Chambers to act for the successful applicant. The appeal was mounted on the basis of the wrongful admission of bad character evidence and the Trial Judge's refusal to permit questioning about other allegations made by the complainant. The Court clarified the meaning of a section of the "rape shield" provisions, resolving a point that had previously been the subject of conflicting Court of Appeal judgments.