Garden Court Chambers hosts the Law Commission: Homicide Consultation – Share Your Views

The Law Commission are currently undertaking a comprehensive review of the law of homicide. Last month, they published a Consultation Paper setting out provisional proposals for reform of the homicide offences, available here – a summary of the paper is available here, with an online response form here. The consultation period for this paper runs until 30 September 2026. They are planning to publish and consult on further papers on defences to homicide and sentencing for murder in Summer 2027.

The Commission is keen to engage with legal practitioners throughout the life of the project. They are collaborating with Garden Court Chambers with this seminar to ensure the defence perspective is represented.

After short initial contributions from the speakers, we will invite contributions and Q and A from those attending so the Law Commission can see the full range of views from within the defence community.

Speakers 

Professor Penney Lewis, Criminal Law Commissioner
Professor Penney Lewis joined the Law Commission of England and Wales as Commissioner for Criminal Law in 2020. Since arriving at the Commission, her team has completed projects on the Protection of Official Data, Search Warrants, Misconduct in Public Office, Modernising Communications Offences, Hate Crime, Corporate Criminal Liability, Confiscation of the Proceeds of Crime, Intimate Image Abuse and Evidence in Sexual Offences Prosecutions. Recommendations from seven of those projects have been implemented by Parliament; recommendations from two further projects are presently before Parliament. Her team’s current projects include Criminal Appeals, Contempt of Court and Homicide; future projects will include Consent, Desecration and Insanity. Professor Lewis is also a Member of the Home Office’s Science and Technology Ethics Advisory Committee. Previously she was Professor of Law and Co-Director of the Centre of Medical Law and Ethics in the Dickson Poon School of Law, King’s College London and a Member of the Human Tissue Authority

Rhiannon Sara Crimmins KC, Barrister, Garden Court Chambers (Chair)
Rhiannon is an extremely experienced, highly committed and fearless criminal defence practitioner. Over her career, she has been instructed in over 50 murder trials and regularly defends those accused of terrorism, firearms, gang-related crime and fraud. Rhiannon has developed an impressive reputation across the board, being described by lay clients as “outstanding”; by her instructing solicitors as “a leading light in her profession”, and by the Judiciary as “first class”. She is particularly adept in cases with religious and cultural sensitivities, as well as those defendants who are considered vulnerable – she considers that her past expertise in human rights and immigration law, appearing in the High Court and Court of Appeal, has provided her with an excellent foundation in this regard.

Emma Fenn, Barrister, Garden Court Chambers
Emma is an experienced criminal defence barrister who specialises in serious criminal cases across the spectrum of offences including non-accidental injury cases, where complex medical issues arise. She frequently appears in multi-handed murder, violence and drugs cases and has vast experience of a wide variety of homicide offences including historic allegations and representing children. She also conducts advisory work in relation to appeals. Emma is consistently ranked in Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500 as a leading junior.

Kate Aubrey-Johnson, Barrister, Garden Court Chambers (Chair)
Kate is a youth justice specialist barrister and mediator at Garden Court Chambers with experience as a criminal defence practitioner and public lawyer. Kate is co-author of the leading textbook Youth Justice Law and Practice (LAG, 2019). She is a youth justice expert and is regularly called upon to give lectures and deliver training. She chairs the Ministry of Justice’s Working Group on Youth Advocacy and works in an advisory capacity in the youth justice sector. Kate is working closely with the Law Society, the Criminal Bar Association and the Inns of Court College of Advocacy to ensure lawyers have the specialist skills and expertise to represent children. Kate was Highly Commended in Every Child Protected Against Trafficking (ECPAT) UK’s ‘Children’s Champion Awards’ for her commitment to supporting child victims of trafficking. Kate has an extensive knowledge of children’s rights law and also works as a SEND mediator.

Reserve your ticket
In-person tickets are limited by the venue’s capacity. After you have completed the form, we will be back in touch to confirm whether a place is available at the event.

If you have booked an online ticket, we will send joining details to all those who have signed up on the day of the event. If you have not received the link by 2pm on 18 September, and it is not in your junk inbox, please email webinars@gclaw.co.uk.