[2011] EWCA Crim 1271

Although the judge's summing up was unbalanced in a case concerning a solicitor who had allegedly dishonestly countersigned passport applications knowing that they were false, it was not so unfair as to lead to tilting the jury against the offender. Bearing in mind his previous good character and a delay between the original trial and a retrial, the sentence of 54 months' imprisonment imposed on the offender was excessive and a sentence of 36 months was substituted for the original term.

CA (Crim Div) (Moses LJ, Maddison J, Nicola Davies J)

31/03/2011