Cherie Blair blasted for being 'unduly lenient' when she refused to jail £140,000 cocaine smuggler
The barrister wife of former prime minister Tony Blair was criticised by the Court of Appeal today for not sending a cocaine smuggler to jail when sitting as a judge at a Crown Court.
Appeal judge Lord Justice Pitchford suggested that Cherie Blair's decision to impose a 12-month suspended sentence on Lee Williams, following a trial at Isleworth Crown Court earlier this year, was 'remarkable'.
The appeal court quashed the 'unduly lenient' sentence imposed by Mrs Blair - who uses her maiden name Booth when working as a lawyer - and replaced it with a three-and-a-half-year jail term.
Lord Justice Pitchford, who sat in London with Mr Justice Tugendhat and Mr Justice Griffith Williams, ordered Williams, 43, of Hanwell, West London, to surrender to police.
Appeal judges quashed the sentence imposed by Mrs Blair, who had been sitting as a recorder - a part-time judge, after lawyers representing Conservative Attorney General Dominic Grieve asked for a review.
Bill Emlyn Jones, for the Attorney General - the Government's chief legal adviser, argued that the sentence passed by Mrs Blair had been 'unduly lenient' and described the decision a 'startling result'.
The appeal court heard that Mrs Blair had imposed the suspended sentence after hearing arguments from barrister Matthew Morgan, who represented Williams.
'I don't know what spell you were casting in the Isleworth Crown Court,' Lord Justice Pitchford told Mr Morgan at today's hearing. 'But this is a remarkable sentence is it not?'
Source: Cherie Blair blasted for handing out 'unduly lenient' sentence after letting cocaine smuggler walk free while sitting as a judge | Mail Online
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Would having a husband in jail for treason would have prevented her from becoming a judge?
Just asking like.
The barrister wife of former prime minister Tony Blair was criticised by the Court of Appeal today for not sending a cocaine smuggler to jail when sitting as a judge at a Crown Court.
Appeal judge Lord Justice Pitchford suggested that Cherie Blair's decision to impose a 12-month suspended sentence on Lee Williams, following a trial at Isleworth Crown Court earlier this year, was 'remarkable'.
The appeal court quashed the 'unduly lenient' sentence imposed by Mrs Blair - who uses her maiden name Booth when working as a lawyer - and replaced it with a three-and-a-half-year jail term.
Lord Justice Pitchford, who sat in London with Mr Justice Tugendhat and Mr Justice Griffith Williams, ordered Williams, 43, of Hanwell, West London, to surrender to police.
Appeal judges quashed the sentence imposed by Mrs Blair, who had been sitting as a recorder - a part-time judge, after lawyers representing Conservative Attorney General Dominic Grieve asked for a review.
Bill Emlyn Jones, for the Attorney General - the Government's chief legal adviser, argued that the sentence passed by Mrs Blair had been 'unduly lenient' and described the decision a 'startling result'.
The appeal court heard that Mrs Blair had imposed the suspended sentence after hearing arguments from barrister Matthew Morgan, who represented Williams.
'I don't know what spell you were casting in the Isleworth Crown Court,' Lord Justice Pitchford told Mr Morgan at today's hearing. 'But this is a remarkable sentence is it not?'
Source: Cherie Blair blasted for handing out 'unduly lenient' sentence after letting cocaine smuggler walk free while sitting as a judge | Mail Online
---
Would having a husband in jail for treason would have prevented her from becoming a judge?
Just asking like.
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