Law unto themselves

Book Recommendation: All England Law Reports Consolidated Tables and Index
By Yasser Latif Hamdani

All England Law Reports — the most reliable record of English case law — date back to 1558. Recorded case law dates back another 400 years prior to that. In 1558, the English began to see the benefit of compiling and publishing case law for easy reference.

Institutions like Lincoln’s Inn had already been serving the legal community since the 13th century when a papal decree forbade clergy from teaching common law, thereby separating temporal law from the church. Thus, by the time All England Law Reports were being organised, the modern English legal system was already into its third or fourth century. Consider, then, that in 1558, Mughal emperor Akbar the Great ruled as a despot with a remarkable concentration of power and Suleiman the Magnificent ruled the Ottoman Empire as God’s shadow on earth. These two great monarchs were literally the law, while in England, the greatest queen to rule the western world, ruled limited by the Magna Carta — arguably the world’s first modern constitution.

Skeleton Argument: Sample Plea and Mitigation Hearing at Magistrate Court in a criminal matter

Ladies And Gentlemen Of The Jury: Greatest Closing Arguments In Modern Law

Jennifer Ann Slater

Opening

Good Morning Madam, I appear before you on behalf of my client Jennifer Ann Slater who has been charged with taking of a vehicle contrary to S.12A of the Theft Act 1968 to make a plea in mitigation.

I put to you that there are some mitigating factors that ought to be considered prior to sentencing.

May I proceed madam (ask permission)

Incident

I put to you that my client stole a vehicle in order to get to her kids and consequently crashed in to the front garden wall of her neighbour causing damage to the car and the garden wall. The car was not seriously damaged and was covered by insurance.

Aggravating Factors and Greater Degree of Harm

Madam my I submit to you that:

·         The offence was not premeditated (she stumbled upon an unlocked car whilst seeking shelter from the rain);

·         My client was under the influence of alcohol; however

·         But there was no deliberate damage to the car or garden wall as the accident occurred whilst breaking.

I submit to you that my client does not possess any factors for the greater degree of harm. The factors are:

·         No passengers present;

·         No damage caused to moving traffic accident.

Mitigating factors:

Madam the mitigating factors are that:

·         My client is of young age and that has affected her responsibility. (she is 20 years and has been in the foster care system since the age of 11 and does not have a stable family background);

·         Genuinely remorseful of her actions (is concerned about the future of her family); and

·         the client pleaded guilty

Personal Mitigating:

·         Mother of two young children (aged 6 months and 2 years);

·         On welfare benefits and has no saving;

·         She does not have a home and at the time of offence/currently staying with friends and sleeping on their floor ; and

·         Recently received a letter from the council offering her a council flat (so that she can provide a stable home to her family).

Previous convictions:

The client has three previous convictions. These were Theft and S47 ABH in 2006 and 2008 (the offence of theft was a considerable time ago). There is another offence of TWOC (taking without consent) in 2009.  However, the conviction of TWOC was based around different circumstances. This was when she had to take her son to a hospital as he was suffering from an asthma attack. The car was returned undamaged.

Sentencing

I would urge you Madam not to consider a custodial sentence as this will mean that her children will be taken by the social services and put in foster care.

I submit to you:

·         This offence carries an obligatory disqualification of minimum of 12 months. (Madam I urge to consider keeping this at 12 months as my client has had no previous disqualifications);

Madam I urge to consider a:

·         High level community order with an order of unpaid work and an attendance centre programme (this will act as a deterrent as well as rehabilitate and rebuild her life);

·         Compensation order for the damages to Mrs. Finch’s garden wall for £150. This can be sourced through the deductions from my clients benefit entitlement.

Closing

I wish to persuade you Madam that you will not see my client before this court again.

I am happy to address any question that you may have and so is my client.

Possible Questions asked by the DJ

·         Where were her children at the time of the arrest?

·         What was the damage caused to the car and the Garden wall?

·         More information about the 2 counts of Theft in 2006?

·         More information about the section 47 offence in 2008?

·         More information of the couple (whose car was stolen) and the Neighbours (Victims)

·         More information on the friend (Christine Walker)

Note: if a question comes up and you do not know the answer, just refer to the notes and than answer that you have no instructions from your client on this matter.

Contributed by Ali Ashraf Raza, LLB (Hons), Legal Practice Course- (Pro.Dip)  (Nottingham), Associate at Bhandari Naqvi and Riaz.