Mark George to teach on US Death Penalty Training Course  

The charities have joined together to present a training programme (run each year in the Spring and Autumn) that provides practical as well as theoretical skills to assist defence counsel with the representation of those facing execution in the US. The training is run with leading practitioners and academics from the UK. The programme will give practical tools to those considering a US placement and to those interested in assisting with the work in the UK. It will help individuals develop the specific skills required for this kind of work, as well as orienting them to the various issues they will be confronting.

The full course begins on Friday evening 3rd October 2008 and runs until Sunday 5th October 2008. The programme for Saturday 4th October includes sessions on the US Federal Constitution and the practice of the US Supreme Court. Mark has spoken on similar training course over the past eight years and will be speaking about a number of aspects of death penalty trial procedure from arrest, through pre-trial motions, issues such as ineffective assistance of counsel to jury selection and how the jury reaches a verdict of death. A further speaker will discuss mitigation and appeals.

The course begins at 9.30 am and will be at Freshfields Solicitors in Bouverie Street, London. There is also a second weekend on the practical side of death penalty work- investigations, witness interview, juror interviews etc... This takes place on 25th and 26th October 2008.

These training courses are becoming increasingly popular and over subscribed. To apply for a place on the course, please fill out and return the booking form below. Those applicants who have arranged a placement in the USA will be given priority, further places will be allocated according to application date.

Full details of the course can be obtained from Amicus . Anyone who wants to book on to the course should contact Margot Ravenscroft- Amicus Executive Officer at admin@amicus-alj.org