Chambers Blog

Direct access allows you to instruct a barrister directly, without going
through a solicitor. The Legal Services Board has approved changes to rules governing direct access work.

From 1 April 2013, barristers can take direct instructions from clients
who may be eligible for legal aid but have decided not to take up this option.

Further changes will also result in barristers of less than three years'
Call being able to deal directly with clients with the introduction of new
training. This will be in place by Autumn 2013. 

This will therefore allow more clients to go directly to a barrister,
and also allow junior barristers to undertake direct access work.

New Walk Barristers Chambers sponsored the Leicester Tigers versus Wasps rugby game in April at Welford Road, Leicester. The day was a huge success and was topped off by a resounding win by the Leicester Tigers. The final score was 35 - 16. Chambers has previously sponsored Leicester Tigers and Leicestershire County Cricket Club and enjoys it's links with the sports world. Several Barristers at Chambers deal with sports law including contracts and personal injury and they can take instructions either from a solicitor or directly from a lay client under the direct access or public access rules.

Paul McGrath is the winner of the Leicester University distance learning LLM Employment Law New Walk Chambers Prize. His dissertation was described by his supervisor as a "highly commendable piece of work". It was titled 'Band on the Run' and it related to the law of unfair dismissal. Paul McGrath is an associate with McDermott, Will & Emery in London.

If caught failing to comply with traffic lights, one is open to prosecution and conviction. As with many of this sort of offence you will be summonsed to appear at Court on a certain day. If convicted, you will be liable to a fine and points on your licence. If you already had points on your licence, this could result in you being disqualified from driving for accumulating too many points. Lay clients can either brief a barrister through a solicitor or they can come direct to a barrister under the public access, or as it is sometimes known direct access, scheme.

A person is guilty of an offence if they drive, or attempt to drive, a motor vehicle on a road or other public place after consuming so much alcohol that the proportion of it in breath, urine or blood exceeds the prescribed limit. Nearly everyone will know that it an offence to drive whilst drunk (or under the influence of drugs) but few will know of the consequences of such a conviction. Not only would it raise your car insurance but it will also result in a mandatory ban from driving. You will be disqualified for at least 12 months (considerably longer if this isn't your first conviction for such an offence). In addition to a ban, you will also be fined and if your reading is too high a prison sentence is a possibility. It is also an offence to fail to provide a specimen. People will often try anything in an attempt to keep their driving licence, and often end up putting forward preposterous suggestions forward to the Court. This will not help matters, and proper legal advice should be sought in respect of potential defences.Lay clients can either brief a barrister through a solicitor or they can come direct to a barrister under the direct access, or as it is sometimes known public access, scheme.