Bøker av Ramya Nagesh

This book is a comprehensive but practical guide for all of those working in inquest law - from those instructed in their first case right through to those who have been practising for years, or coroners conducting their own inquests. It is neither a purely pragmatic guide, nor is it an academic dive into inquest law. It is both.Accordingly it is designed to answer the most likely questions any practitioner or coroner will have, from the procedural (such as 'what is a pre-inquest review?' and 'what does an inquest hearing look like?') through to the legal (such as 'what is the basis for an Article 2 inquest?' and 'on what grounds might a witness be granted special measures?'). These are all questions which the author has asked or been asked multiple times over her years of practice. In providing the answers this book draws upon statute, guidance and the most relevant and recent legal precedent.A Practical Guide to the Law in Relation to Inquests follows the natural structure of an inquest case so that it is as intuitive to use as possible. Part 1 sets out the background to an inquest, Part 2 covers matters you will be considering at the pre-inquest stage, Part 3 takes you through the inquest hearing itself and Part 4 addresses matters once the hearing has concluded.Specific topics include:What is an inquest? Its purpose, sources of law and background;Starting an investigation and opening an inquest;Pre-inquest reviews: content and procedure;Scope of an inquest;The duty and power to hold an inquest with a jury;Evidence at an inquest;The inquest hearing: selection of a jury, questioning of live witnesses and closing submissions;Conclusions at an Inquest;Prevention of Future Death Reports;Challenging Decisions of the Coroner.A Practical Guide to the Law in Relation to Inquests will therefore be a welcome addition to any bookshelf or work bag for many years to come.ABOUT THE AUTHORRamya Nagesh is a barrister at 4-5 Gray's Inn Square. She has spent over fifteen years in the law, with well over eleven of those at the Bar. After almost a decade building a successful criminal practice, she chose to focus primarily on another area in which she was being instructed more and more: inquests.Ramya has acted in the widest range of inquests: from those lasting less than a day where she is the only advocate, up to those of the greatest public interest. Some of the most recent inquests in which she has acted include an inquest into the death of a man beheaded by a person suffering from severe mental difficulties, an inquest into the sudden death of a man whilst he was being arrested and the Inquest into the Terror Attacks at the Fishmonger's Hall in November 2019.

The announcement of 'lockdown' on 23 March 2020 saw sweeping changes within the criminal justice system. Within a matter of days, new offences were in force. The criminal courts - which had relied largely on in-person appearances thus far - found themselves operating almost wholly through virtual hearing lists. Jury trials were adjourned in their thousands, as those within the system debated how they could be effectively and safely resumed.These changes affect all of us within the criminal justice system. At the same time, we have had relatively little time to get to grips with them. This book is designed to provide an easy reference guide to all the key ways in which Covid-19 has affected both the law and practice. It includes analysis of the key provisions from the Welsh and English Coronavirus Regulations 2020 and the Coronavirus Act 2020, provides practical tips for continuing to work during the pandemic and considers options for the future shape of the criminal courts.The book is split into three main parts: The impact of Covid-19 on criminal offences: the new offences created, and the impact of the pandemic on existing offences; The impact of Covid-19 on the court system: virtual hearings, practical points for the practitioner and options to allow jury trials to resume. The impact of Covid-19 on Judicial decisions: sentencing and bail decisions.ABOUT THE AUTHORRamya Nagesh is a barrister at No5 Chambers, where she specialises in the full range of criminal matters. Ramya acts for both the Prosecution and the Defence, and represents both individuals and corporations. The vast majority of her criminal practice these days is in the Crown Court, but she also has experience in the Magistrates' Courts, and in the Court of Appeal.Ramya sits as the independent legal representative on the West Midlands Hate Crime Scrutiny Panel. She is also a Trustee for Justice Is Now - a non-profit organisation seeking to make improvements to the ways in which sexual offences are treated in the criminal courts. Ramya is the author of the book: A Practical Guide to the Law in Relation to Hate Crime. She has also authored a number of articles on topics that include sleepwalking and the criminal law, international criminal law, hate crime and legal professional privilege.