It is slightly encouraging to hear the positive reports; I however had a horror at Colindale yesterday, when a long term client with multiple MH diagnoses - who always has an AA - was deemed by custody to not need one. Reps to Sgt and OIC, outlining all of the above / history / obligations etc. Completely ignored. Multiple attempts to reach Inspector unsuccessful. The police were so determined to prevent an AA I could only conclude they couldn't find one to come ... And worst of all, whilst I was waiting for the inspector to supposedly call me, they cracked on with IV without notifying me they were doing so. Then when I followed up, recorded complete fiction on custody record that I had refused to attend and/or refused to give telephone advice.

Almost more concerning was that the custody sergeants genuinely seemed to be enjoying it all. Actually laughing at reps. And even at Covid-19 and 'all' the solicitors referencing it.

So please, all, do sign your firms up to the LCCSA protocol. The more unity, the more chance things will change and we will all be able to do our jobs in a way which protects us, our clients, our loved ones and the real frontline people in the NHS. 

Rhean 



From: members@mail.lccsa.org.uk <members@mail.lccsa.org.uk> on behalf of Greg Powell <GregPowell@psplaw.co.uk>
Sent: 28 March 2020 19:17
To: vpfco@btinternet.com <vpfco@btinternet.com>; abu sayeed <asayeed@hotmail.co.uk>; members@mail.lccsa.org.uk <members@mail.lccsa.org.uk>
Subject: Re: COVID-19
 

Hi .Meanwhile the police at Charing Cross realizing our firms attitude and insistence on remote working got the DSCC to issue a second number and got another Solicitor to attend without telling us D ..
The DSCC issued a second number without any communication with us . 

Underhand and deceitful by the officers involved .


Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.


-------- Original message --------
From: Peter Fernando <vpfco@btinternet.com>
Date: 28/03/2020 17:53 (GMT+00:00)
To: Greg Powell <GregPowell@psplaw.co.uk>, abu sayeed <asayeed@hotmail.co.uk>, members@mail.lccsa.org.uk
Subject: Re: COVID-19

Hi Greg
Just come back from police station in Kent. Youth arrested for alleged pwits. I was all set with WebEx, skype business,zoom etc . No good , because police only had an empty can and a bit of twine which they called a telephone. 
I am going to write to the chief constable to buy some phones and if they cannot get the funding tell us and I am sure we can crowd fund some phone which they can wipe clean before and after each use. 
I really don't want to go through exposing my family to covid 19 
Peter 


On Fri, 27 Mar 2020 at 19:08, Greg Powell
<GregPowell@psplaw.co.uk> wrote:
As a place of work Courts are not safe .We will not attend them .We have to insist on remote working .
At the Covid Inquiry in 2023 Counsel for the bereaved will ask , Why were you engaging  in face to face work in the midst of the pandemic when it was abundantly clear that this was incompatible with social distancing and isolation and placing your life and those of your family at risk ? 



Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.


-------- Original message --------
From: abu sayeed <asayeed@hotmail.co.uk>
Date: 27/03/2020 18:14 (GMT+00:00)
To: members@mail.lccsa.org.uk
Subject: COVID-19


Dear Members

I have been following the advice and guidance being given regarding police station duty attendances - my understanding ( please correct me if I am wrong ) is that a solicitor can hand matters back to the Dscc
 ( without criticism/penalty ) where he/she does not feel comfortable with the risk of physically attending police station.

What about the situation where one is a court duty - my colleague attended Westminster today as court duty and reported back saying it was business as normal, with dj not expediting anything or running anything differently...constantly asking my colleague to take further instructions from client in the dock
 ( thereby making a mockery of the 2m distancing requirement ), my colleague didn’t leave court till 5pm. COULD HE NOT SIMPLY HAVE REFUSED DUTY on similar basis he was not comfortable with the risk of having to undertake face to face contact with clients in unsanitary cells etc ( I understand probation as a rule, refuse to see defendants face to face, every interview at Westminster is done via tel/video link )?

[On a positive note, I understand a member of the press was in court today reporting on the current  plight of court users ].

Abu Sayeed
Sbg solicitors
Sent from my iPhone
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CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: It is business as usual at Powell Spencer & Partners. However during this difficult and uncertain time the health of our clients and staff is paramount. Accordingly our offices are now closed and all staff are working from home and are available by telephone and email. Appointments in our offices have been replaced with telephone appointments and we will continue to provide robust representation and advice to all clients.

Powell Spencer & Partners is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors' Regulation Authority. No: 57736

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To unsubscribe from the LCCSA Members eGroup click here.

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CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: It is business as usual at Powell Spencer & Partners. However during this difficult and uncertain time the health of our clients and staff is paramount. Accordingly our offices are now closed and all staff are working from home and are available by telephone and email. Appointments in our offices have been replaced with telephone appointments and we will continue to provide robust representation and advice to all clients.

Powell Spencer & Partners is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors' Regulation Authority. No: 57736

This e-mail is confidential and may also be legally privileged. Please do not copy it or use it for any purposes or disclose its contents or attachments to any other person without express permission from Powell Spencer & Partners. To do so could be a breach of confidentiality. Our data protection and privacy policies can be found on our website at www.psplaw.co.uk

If you have received this e-mail in error you are on notice of its status. Please inform us immediately by telephone on 0207 604 5600 or by reply e-mail and then delete this message from your system.

BEWARE OF FRAUD: If you receive an unusual request to pay money to Powell Spencer & Partners, please check with us that it is genuine. Our bank details will not change and we will never include a payment link in an email.

Thank you for your co-operation.
To unsubscribe from the LCCSA Members eGroup click here.

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