CROWN COURT TRIAL REVIEWS AT LAGANSIDE COURT
His Honour Judge Miller QC has discussed with other Judges at Laganside Court on how to proceed with trial reviews for the term ahead. Now that there are established lists of cases allocated to each of the Judges there is no longer the necessity for a weekly review of all trials each Wednesday in Court 14. Rather each judge shall be responsible for her or his list.
The court will proceed on the assumption that the trials listed for the following week will be in a position to proceed unless written notice to the contrary is received in the Belfast Crown Office by 12.00 Noon on the preceding Wednesday. Any such notifications will then be listed before the relevant judge for adjudication and determination on the Thursday morning after which the trial judges will meet to discuss any issues that might have arisen.
This proposal has been reached after due consideration to the expressions of concern raised by the PPS and supported (in part) by Defence counsel at the meeting of the Laganside Crown Court Users Committee last term. The intention is to reduce the requirement for attendance by counsel or solicitors save in circumstances where a specific issue needs to be determined. As with all proposals it will be kept under review during the course of the Easter Term.
The new arrangements will come into effect from w/c 16th January 2017.