Barrister Ahmed Muen sets the record straight about practising at the Criminal Bar
Criminal law and Regulatory Barrister, Ahmed Muen, of Drystone Chambers joined Law Simplified recently to set the record straight about practising at the Criminal Bar. He revealed how the justice system is struggling due to a lack of funding, which has resulted in a shortage of Judges and Barristers, significant backlog of cases and hearings being adjourned and/or relisted at the last minute. Ahmed also enlightened us with his humour by sharing his funniest moments in court and did not hold back to ensure aspiring barristers know the truth about the difficulties of running a successful criminal practice amid public funding cuts. However, he tells us that things do get better over time and that he would never leave the Criminal Bar.
Ahmed is also the Founder and President of the Arab Lawyers Association (ALA), which was formed to promote, and develop the legal profession among the Arab community within the UK. Ahmed expressed how he wants the Association to assist aspiring barristers and solicitors by presenting them with valuable networking opportunities.
ALA is hosting its 5th Arab Lawyers Forum on 9th -10th May 2022 in London, where hundreds of lawyers from around the world will come together, including partners from major UAE law firms. The event is sponsored by big names such as Al Tamimi, Mahmood Hussain Law firm, Deloitte, Mishcon de Reya and Sultan Al- Abdulla & Partners, to name some. Click here to reserve your ticket now for absolutely free. Connect with Ahmed Muen on LinkedIn and follow ALA to make sure you don’t miss out on future events. Podcast hosted by Sara El Kaysi.
DISCLAIMER: Podcast recorded before the strike action by Criminal Barristers.
UK’s top criminal barrister Dominic D’Souza talks about defending organised crime groups and murderers
Murder, organised crime groups and more, with Dominic D’Souza. He joined us to talk about some of the most memorable cases in his 20 years of working in criminal courts. This podcast is jam-packed with humorous and frightening revelations, it’s guaranteed to keep you glued to your seats.
In one of his murder trials (baby shaking trial), he shares how two medical experts were poles apart in their findings, with one saying that the baby had been murdered and his father should be put away for murder, and the other saying that it was a case of meningitis. We also spoke about his experience of defending organised crime groups and his most intimidating moments in a prison cell when he came face to face with a client who’d been charged with killing for satanic purposes. This has to be the best thing on the internet, so get stuck in right now.
Dominic briefly talked about our broken/underfunded criminal justice system amid continued legal aid cuts, the challenges of defending in rape cases and a topic that is hotly debated at the moment: whether or not juries should be abolished. We’ve dropped a TikTok on our channel featuring all the best bits too, check it out at @lawsimplifieduk.
Podcast hosted by Vinesh Mistry, Barrister at 8DB Ltd.
THIS PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY GOLDSMITH CHAMBERS.
Based in the heart of the Temple in central London, Goldsmith Chambers is a leading multi-disciplinary set that is committed to providing expert advocacy and quality legal advice. Their barristers are instructed and appear in courts throughout the country and beyond from the Magistrates, Crown Courts, Tribunals and County Courts to the Supreme Court and the Court of Justice of the European Union. For all your legal needs, check out their website: www.goldsmithchambers.com. Follow Goldsmith Chambers on Twitter and LinkedIn.
The risks of unregulated marriages and why you must regulate your marriage right away, with Javaid Iqbal
Javaid Iqbal, Founder at Clear Sky Legal Services and family law specialist, joins Law Simplified to talk about marriage in a legal context. He particularly focused on unregulated marriages, the risks of failing to register a marriage, and how it can be ‘significantly’ detrimental at the time of divorce or bereavement. If your marriage is not recognised in the UK, it will have an impact on how finances/ assets are divided. There are also other life benefits of registering your marriage which Javaid touched on.
He tells us which marriages are recognised in UK law and those which are not. He also talked about the registration process and emphasised that it’s never too late to go through the registration process. Even if you’re many years into your marriage, you are still able to go to the registry office and have it registered right now!
Javaid shared some of his experiences of having dealt with clients in these circumstances, sharing how many were left distraught after finding out that they were entitled to ‘nothing’ following divorce, as they had failed to register their marriage.
Law Simplified sits down with Senior Crown Prosecutor, John Dove.
Law Simplified sits down with Senior Crown Prosecutor, John Dove. Faareen was joined by Senior Crown Prosecutor, John Dove, who discussed the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and its relationship with the police. He also simplified the Full Code Test which the CPS is required to satisfy before bringing or continuing a criminal charge against someone.
John also spoke about the opportunities available for all aspiring lawyers through his platform, the National Speed Mooting Competition, which hosts a wide range of advocacy/ speed mooting competitions, judged by practising barristers, solicitors and judges. He also founded publicspeakingtuition.com where he provides public speaking and presentation training. During the interview, John shared valuable tips for candidates wanting to enter the profession.
As always, we ended the interview with a quick-fire round to learn more about John beyond the surface level. He shared his favourite food, a bizarre experience and his biggest regret.
Faareen Ali interviews Zainab Zaeem-Sattar
Our Founder Faareen Ali interviews Zainab Zaeem-Sattar, Solicitor at Summerfield Browne Solicitors, ex-entrepreneur, mentor and a Law Society committee member. Zainab makes some shocking admissions about her journey, from running a business to becoming a qualified solicitor, after years of struggle.
Almost 7 years after completing the LPC, divorce and re-marriage later, she secured a training contract in 2017. Zainab soon found herself shortlisted for Leicestershire Law Society’s trainee solicitor of the year award in 2019. Zainab sits on the main committee of Leicestershire Law Society and is also part of two sub-boards; Education & Training and Membership.
Zainab discussed and simplified some current legal issues too, such as redundancy and employee rights, developments within the Gig Economy following the hairdresser case and the long-awaited Judgment in the Uber case, debt Recovery during the pandemic and neighbour boundary disputes.
Faareen Ali interviews Zafar Ali
Meet Zafar Ali, a Solicitor-Advocate and Director at Eaton Adams Solicitors who joined Faareen for a fun-packed interview. Zafar shared his unconventional journey, which saw him reroute from a pilot cockpit to the profession of a Solicitor- Advocate and establishing Lancashire’s Best Personal Injury Firm.
By simplifying some of the previous PI reforms and the upcoming changes to Whiplash claims from 2021, he shares how we might all be adversely impacted. He also discussed the Cameron case ( Cameron v Liverpool Victoria Insurance Co Ltd ) which was decided by the Supreme Court in 2019 to tell us what we should do following a road traffic accident, to prevent being unable to claim against the party at fault. Aspiring students, you CANNOT afford to miss the advice provided as Zafar touched on several things that firms look for.