probation liason officers

[herbie]

Are they supposed to leave someone in charge of there clients when they go on holiday? reason for asking mr herbie brother got brutally murdered 10 years ago and we see a lady once a year to update us on any changes to the 2 scumbags who did this ie if they was to appeal,be paroled or better still die in pain like our relitive (sorry bad spelling) my elderly mum in law lives in the same area as these 2 lowlife so has always said she dosent want them out till she dead and lives in fear anyway imagine our suprise to read in local papers that one of them has now decided to appeal against his conviction 9 years on we wasent told and when i rang was toold that our liason officer was on leave and nobody else there new anything about our case surly they would have known off this appeal before the papers? and who can i complain to she back tomorrow (Thursday seems a strange day to return to work dont you think) also are the victims family allowed to attend appeal Many Thanks

[Mamjet]

Thursday is a perfectly reasonable day to return to work from a holiday.

[herbie]

thanks for your constructive answer

[Buenchico]

(2-part post):

While the Probation Service would automatically be notified about the imminent release, on licence, of someone serving a life sentence, there's no reason why they would have any notice of an appeal.

Anyone in prison is entitled to send and receive confidential letters to their legal representatives. They also have the right to receive confidential visits from their solicitor and/or barrister. A prisoner could instruct their lawyers to seek leave to appeal, without the prison authorities or the
Probation Service being aware of it. The court can consider the application without reference to either the Prison Service or the Probation Service. (Indeed, it's probably essential that they should do so, since the appeal should relate solely to what happened prior to the conviction, not to anything after it). Therefore it's perfectly understandable that nobody within the Probation Service would know anything about it.

Although Mamjet has a reputation for posting particularly unhelpful answers in the 'Law' section, I have to agree that there's nothing unusual about returning from leave on a Thursday.

[Buenchico]

All appeals are heard in he Court of Appeal which, in practice, means the Royal Courts of Justice in the Strand, London. Like all court hearings , they are open to the public unless there are exceptional circumstances. (Such circumstances might apply for an appeal against a conviction for terrorism, where issues of national security were involved, but they won't apply in the case you refer to).

However, the actual court hearings in the Royal Courts of Justice are usually very brief. The judges have normally studied the papers beforehand and, after a formal submission by the appellant's counsel, they announce their decision. In most cases they uphold the conviction. If not, they'd normally order a re-trial, rather than acquitting the appellant.

Appeals can take a long time to come to court, so you might need to keep checking to see if the case is listed. The switchboard number is 0207 947 6000. The General Enquiries number for the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) is 020 7947 6011. The Clerk of the Lists (High Court Appeals) can be contacted directly on 020 7947 7354 or 020 7947 7383. (I suspect that the 'General Enquiries number is probably the one you require but I've listed the others just in case they turn out to be of more use).

Chris