Representing Victims of Modern Slavery

Laura Janes and Claire Sands

Howard League for Penal Reform

Continuing their series of excellent explorations of advocacy for the most vulnerable, the Howard League for Penal Reform’s Dr Laura Janes and Claire Sands present on the hot topic of modern slavery, county lines and representing victims of criminal exploitation. In particular, the seminar looks at:

Policy and research concerning child criminal exploitation

Practical guidance on the signs that should warn lawyers that their client

might be a victim of criminal exploitation with reference to children

How many children are being criminally exploited?

Profile of victims

Grooming and control

Serious risk of harm

What should ring alarm bells?

What might CCE victims be feeling?

What steps lawyers should take if they suspect criminal exploitation

Representations to the CPS

The Modern Slavery Defence

Appealing convictions

Relevant law

UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989

UN Palermo Protocol 2000

Modern Slavery Act 2015

The European Convention for Human Rights, 1953

CoE Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings 2009

The European Directive on Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Human

Beings and Protecting its Victims (2011/36/EU)

R v O [2008] EWCA Crim 2835

L, HVN, THN and T v R [2013] EWCA Crim 991

Laura is a solicitor specialising in prison law, criminal appeals, mental health law and public law. She has particular expertise in representing children, young adults and vulnerable people in detention in both penal and mental health settings.

Laura is a Consultant Solicitor at Scott-Moncrieff & Associates Ltd and GT Stewart Solicitors & Advocates, and is a visiting fellow at South Bank University where she teaches courses on human rights.

Laura has been a trustee of Legal Action Group since 2010 and has been the Chair of the charity since 2017. She is a director of the Legal Aid Practitioners’ Group. She is a committee member of the Association of Prison Lawyers, the Mental Health Lawyers’ Association and the Criminal Appeal Lawyers’ Association.

Laura founded Young Legal Aid Lawyers in 2005 and she received both the 2010 Liberty Human Rights Young Person of the Year award and the 2009 Young Legal Aid Lawyer of the year award on behalf of the group. From 2005 to 2022, Laura worked for the Howard League for Penal Reform and was its legal director between 2016 and 2022.

Claire Sands is Research and Policy Manager for youth justice and young adults at the Howard League for Penal Reform. Her remit includes the programme to end the criminalisation of children in residential care which won the CYP Now Youth Justice Award in 2018.

Claire worked as a freelance researcher for a number of years prior to her current role. Her publications include: 'Child Criminal Exploitation: county lines gangs, child trafficking & modern slavery defences for children' (Youth Justice Legal Centre, 2018); 'The fostering system in England: Evidence review' (Department for Education, 2017); and 'Growing Up, Moving On. The international treatment of childhood criminal records' (Standing Committee for Youth Justice, 2016).

Claire is a tutor on the Child Studies MA at King's College London. She is also a qualified solicitor and practised for a number of years at a central London law firm.