court led to an appeal and only about 1: 100 cases in the Crown Court led to an intervention by the Court of Appeal. So a sense of perspective had to be maintained. Legal aid had been greatly improved, especially the duty to advise and if necessary to present grounds of appeal, including the calling of evidence before the Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal had the discretion to hear fresh evidence. He felt there was a danger in proliferating procedures in the hope that one more level of appeal would cure deficiencies or insensitivities of professional work. In his view, everything depended upon the cultivation of professional devotion and excellence, and not in complicating the machinery.
Speakers from the floor drew attention to the switching of counsel at the eleventh hour, the illiteracy of many convicted persons, and the difficulties facing a prisoner in disciplinary hearings before Boards of visitors.
Natalia Karp's Piano Recital
On Tuesday, 6th July, 1976, in Lincoln's Inn New Hall, Natalia Karp, a Polish-born pianist of international fame, gave a piano recital of works by Handel, Schubert and Chopin. She generously offered her services to raise funds for JUSTICE, and the brilliance of her playing and warmth of her personality gave 270 members and their friends an evening of sheer delight. The Lord Chancellor honoured us with his presence and welcomed the audience at the buffet reception which followed.
We would like to express our warm thanks to the members of the committee who organised the event. They were Mrs. William Goodhart (Chairman), Mrs. Michael Bryceson, Mrs. Bryan Blackshaw, Mrs. Michael Burrell, Miss Diana Cornforth, Mrs. Michael Miller, Mrs. Paul Sieghart and Mrs. Roydon Thomas.
We are also grateful to John Mackarness for organising the sale of advertisement space in the programme, to the companies who responded to his appeal, and to the Under Treasurer and staff of Lincoln's Inn for their courtesy and helpfulness. The proceeds of the occasion were over £1,500.
20th Anniversary Ball
A 20th Anniversary Ball will be held at Hurlingham Club on Friday, 11th November. Members are asked to note the date and to organise parties. The price of tickets, including dinner, is £8 and there will be after-dinner tickets at £2.50.
Scottish Branch
Contact with individual members has been rather less this year but the work of the branch has greatly increased. This has been partly due to the greater amount of law reform material which has been studied with a view to providing comment or briefing, but the main amount of additional work and time has been devoted to consideration of individual cases which have been submitted to us in greater numbers.
Always time-consuming and requiring careful attention, the number and complexity of these individual applications have greatly increased
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