The Criminal Law CPD Conference

There has been a murder on the Downs... 

The Criminal Law CPD Conference will be held at the majestic 135-year-old Abbey in Warwick on 14 and 15 November 2026. The conference will follow a matter from the crime scene through initial interactions with the police, engagement with expert witnesses, case management, trial preparation and strategy, the trial process, the use of AI in preparation and research, and the ethical issues raised along the way. You will earn all 10 CPD points for the 2026/2027 CPD year.

Saturday

• 0745-0845: Venue opens.
• 0845-0900: Welcome. David Jones as MC.
• 0900-1000: “Chasing Ghosts: Contamination and the Search for Truth.” Senior Sergeant Kirsty Gleeson. (1B* PS**) 
• 1000-1100: “Theory, Evidence and Doubt: Inside a Major Police Investigation.” Detective Sergeant Glen Roche and other detectives. (1B 1PS)
• 1100-1130: Morning tea. 
• 11:30-1300: “What the Body Can—and Cannot—Tell Us: Forensic Pathology in Criminal Trials.” Doctor Christopher Day. “Beyond the DNA Match: Understanding the Evidence.” DNA Scientist Deborah Rogers. (1.5B 1.5PS)
• 1300-1400. Lunch
• 1400-1500: “Memory, Suggestion and Mistaken Certainty: What Criminal Lawyers Need to Know About Witness Evidence.” Professor Martine Powell. (1B 1 PS)
• 1500-1530: Afternoon tea.
• 1530-1700:  “Rise of the Machine: When AI Writes the Case” – Burns SJA (0.5E) and Bill Lockett, Microsoft AI Solutions Engineer, and Charlie Marie Shanks, Microsoft AI Workforce Solutions Specialist Lead. (1P 1PM)
• 1700-1730: Wrap-up of day 1, Bond JA.
• 50-year presentation.
• Explanation of the “rules” of the Games and “sentencing range” for challenges to the honourable and impartial officials of the Games explained to the City team.
• 1730-2200: Drinks, games, dinner, entertainment.

Sunday

• 0700-0800: Breakfast.
• 0800-0815: Trophy presentation to the Country Team.
• 0815-0900: “Junk Science or Justice? Putting Expert Evidence on Trial.” Burns SJA. (0.75S 0.75PS)
• 0900-0945: “Tool of persuasion – winning or losing with exhibits.” Loury KC DCJ. (0.75S 0.75PS)
• 0945-1000: Morning tea.
• 1000-1100: “Anatomy of a Conviction: Inside the Crown Case.” Crown Prosecutors, Nathan Crane and Liz Kelso.(1B 1PS)
• 1100-1200: “Building a Defence Case Theory: Systematic Analysis and Challenge of the Evidence.” Lynch KC DCJ, Jeff Hunter KC and Frank Martin. (1B 1PS)
• 1200-1230: “Where it went wrong”. Problem scenario. Patrick Quinn and Caprice Gobie-Smith. (0.5E)
• 1230-1300: “View from the Bench: panel discussion. Burns SJA, Bond JA, Loury KC DCJ, and Lynch KC DCJ. (0.5B 0.5PS)
• 1300: Closing remarks. Burns SJA.

Your ticket will include morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner on Saturday. Basic drinks and entertainment will also be provided on Saturday night. On Sunday, a buffet breakfast will be followed by morning tea.

The on-site accommodation was booked out within hours; as a result, a shuttle bus has been organised to drop guests at their accommodation in the Warwick area after Saturday night’s festivities. Many local motels are within walking distance, and participants have also started booking nearby Airbnbs.

Another exciting feature of this year’s event will be a Saturday day trip for partners to visit local wineries in the region. Partners will depart from the Abbey at 9 am by bus and spend the day exploring six wineries within the Southern Downs and Granite Belt region, with a two-course lunch along the way. Partners will then return to the Abbey around 6 pm to enjoy dinner, drinks and entertainment with the conference attendees. Please purchase the Partners Winery Tour ticket in addition to your conference registration. The ticket price includes the winery tour, Saturday lunch, dinner and basic drinks at the Abbey, with a buffet breakfast for Sunday.

Up-to-date information on the programme and more details about the weekend will be published on the QA Chambers' website. If you would like to know more about the venue, please visit the Abbey’s website.

Please note:

• Bring a hat,
• It is expected to be warm; dress code is smart summer casual (don’t be afraid to wear shorts), but bring a jumper for the evening,
• No BYO,
• No camping on site,
• No pets allowed,
• The venue is adults-only.

*BAQ CPD. “E” ethics and professional responsibility. “P” practice management and business skills. “S” substantive law, evidence, practice and procedure. “B” barristers’ skills.

**QLS CPD. “E” practical legal ethics. “PM” practice management and business skills. “P” professional skills.