Our Matt Higgins, Charlene Dempsey and John O’Kelly pictured below at the launch of ‘Bail Law and Practice in Northern Ireland’ at Law Society House, Belfast on Friday 06/12/19

HHD’s Charlene Dempsey has commented on her new book “Bail Law and Practice in Northern Ireland” which was launched on Friday 6^th December 2019, “As criminal law practitioners, bail is the first legal issue we will face on behalf of our clients, usually at the custody sergeant’s desk after a 4 hours of police interviews and a 10 hour shift in the office.  We sometimes take it for granted how important our role as solicitors is at this stage.

Bail applications are reported as often if not more than the sentencing of cases.  There is huge public interest and debate in relation to bail, why a suspect was granted bail, why a suspect was refused bail and why someone received bail again having breached their conditions.

In the words of Lord Justice McCloskey in the Foreword of this text: “The public interest in all matters pertaining to bail, identified in the Law Commission’s Report, remains unchanged. The subject of bail continues to be one of the most visible, important and sometimes controversial aspects of our criminal justice system”. ”

HHD were delighted that so many practitioners turned out in support of Charlene Dempsey and this new book at it’s launch.