Here at Regan Peggs Solicitors we are fortunate to be regularly joined by interns from Birmingham City University. This instalment of the Intern’s Diary is written by one of them, Maria Pantziarou, about her time on 12th of December 2018.
Read previous instalments of the Intern’s Diary here.
Today, I had the opportunity to start my day differently from usual. Gemma asked me to sit in with her at a video link conference with one of our clients. We went to Birmingham Magistrates’ Court and spoke to our client, who was in prison. It was really interesting because our client currently suffers with mental health issues and he is now instructing us to help in relation to some charges given to him after doing some damage to prison property.
After the video link conference, I went back to the office and as usual I checked my emails and tasks and got straight into completing them.
The first thing I had to do was to book a video link conference with our client again, because Regan will need to advise him about some of the matters he raised.
After that I had to call to Worcester Magistrates’ Court to find out about the Single Justice Procedure Hearing of our client. Also, I made a call to Wolverhampton Crown Court to move a Plea and Trial Preparation Hearing date to a day that allow our client and Regan to attend. That client is accused of possessing an illegal firearm, but states that it was an antique that had never been fired. His trial is likely to be next summer.
Afterwards, I wrote to a client confirming the outcome of her case and the advice that Regan suggests as to how to proceed. This was a client who had pleaded guilty to drink driving. We had managed to have her ban reduced from a starting point of 3 years, to one of 2 years. She is very pleased.
In addition I had to call to a doctor and get an update about a psychiatric report we are waiting for one of our clients.
Today was really interesting and I must admit that I have learned a lot.
Regan is an accredited mediator and arbitrator. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a panel mediator for ADR ODR International. Regan has experience in mediating commercial, family and local political disputes, and representing his clients in those sessions.
Regan is a former Chair of the Board of Directors at the Birmingham Law Society and a former chair of its Criminal Law Committee. He has been a lecturer for law students at the Open University. He is the only defence solicitor in the UK to be regularly invited to address international military students at the Royal College of Defence Studies.
- UK Motoring Offence Stats: A Closer Look at the Numbers - October 26, 2023
- Are Sat Navs Excuses for Motoring Offences? - October 4, 2023
- Is divorce always 50/50? - August 2, 2023