Rebecca Austin and Philip Allman involved in modern day slavery judgment
R -v- Brecani [2021] EWCA Crim 731
A young defendant appealed his conviction following the court’s decision to exclude a positive conclusive grounds decision by the Single Competent Authority (SCA). The Court of Appeal agreed with the prosecution that SCA caseworkers are not experts and a Conclusive Grounds decision is not admissible at trial.
The court concluded that ‘on an objective view of the evidence the section 45 defence was comprehensively demolished by the prosecution. There is no question that this conviction is safe.
At trial, lead counsel for the prosecution was Rebecca Austin and Philip Allman her junior.
