The Law Society's criminal law committee membership represents defence and prosecution lawyers, judiciary, academia and justice's clerks.

A number of the members have higher rights of audience and sit as recorders, and most are also actively involved in other specialist professional bodies.

The committee is concerned with every aspect of the criminal justice system and the breadth of the committee's expertise ensures that the committee's work is always rooted in the day-to-day practitioner's experience and that the interests of all parties are taken into consideration when formulating policy and response.The committee's key terms of reference are to keep under review and promote improvements in criminal law practice and procedures and optimising access to justice and the provision of legal services both domestically and internationally.The numerous changes to the criminal justice system over the last 15 years have kept the committee busy with issuing guidance to the profession, responding to government and Law Commission proposals on legislative and policy reform and lobbying.

Perhaps most well known is the work the committee did in relation to changes to the right to silence, and the still ongoing work of the committee in respect of advice in police stations, and the regimes on disclosure.Since 2000 the committee has prepared briefings on proposed amendments to the Terrorism and the Criminal Evidence and Police Bills.

The committee has responded to a range of consultation papers.

These include responding to Law Commission consultation papers on Legislating the Criminal Code, Double Jeopardy, Prosecution Appeals Against Judges' Rulings; Bail and ECHR and Fraud and Deception.

The committee also responded to the Cabinet Office report on recovering the proceeds of crime, and to the Home Office consultations on Proceeds of Crime, Sex Offences Review, Review of Extradition.

It has also commented on numerous other consultations, including the Attorney-General's revised guidelines on disclosure.The committee has contributed or continues to contribute to the implementation of the Youth Justice & Criminal Evidence Act 1999, in the formulation of guidance for intermediaries, interpreters, and vulnerable witnesses; the thematic review of unsentenced prisoners conducted by HM Inspectorate of Prisons; Criminal Cases Review Commission on the ordering of cases and reviews of the code for prosecutors.The Law Society is represented on more than a dozen different outside groups and bodies, including the national and regional trials issues groups, the Crown and magistrates' court user groups, the regional duty solicitor committees and criminal contracting consultative groups, the national implementation team (which is looking at implementation of the Narey reforms for speeding up criminal justice); the case management working group (including Crown Court IT programmes), the reducing delays and reducing delays in the Youth Courts sub-groups, the national race issues advisory committee (NACRO) and the Council for the Registration of Forensic Practitioners.Following the McPherson report, members of the Law Society's criminal law and equal opportunities committee formed the race issues sub-group and co-opted a district judge, Davinder Lacchar, chairman of the criminal justice consultative council race issues sub-group, to promote the profile of race and diversity issues among defence solicitors.The committee also gives guidance where possible, either through the Criminal Practitioners Newsletter or in reviews of the guidance to the profession.

Criminal Defence - the Good Practice Guide was published in March 2000 and the 2nd edition of Active Defence in May 2000.The committee has an active voice in as many arenas as is possible.

However, the white paper, Criminal justice - the way ahead, the Labour manifesto, the anticipated criminal courts review and Halliday sentencing review indicate that the number of legislative reforms and pilots will increase significantly and the role of the committee will be more active and interventionist than ever before.-- The committee has vacancies for two members specialising in defence youth court, prison, mental health, international or human rights work.

Applications from ethnic minority practitioners are especially welcome.

For more information, contact Sophy Thomas, Policy Adviser and Secretary to the Criminal Law Committee at the Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1PL or e-mail: sophy.thomas@lawsociety.org.ukCRIMINAL LAW COMMITTEE FACT FILECHAIRMANMalcolm Fowler, previously a partner at Putsmans in Birmingham, is now at Jonas Roy Blom.

He has been chairman of the criminal law committee since 1998 and is scheduled to retire in September this year.

He is an experienced defence practitioner of 30 years standing, is one of two Law Society Council members for Birmingham and Dudley district.COMMITTEE MEMBERSRoger Brice, Gepp & Sons, Chelmsford.Professor Ed Cape, senior lecturer at the University of the West of England.Helen Cousins, Tyrer, Leeds and Law Society Council member.District Judge Stephen Dawson, Thames Magistrates' CourtLouise Delahunty, Peters & Peters, London.Nigel Dodds of Alderson Dodds, Blyth and council member.Derek French, French & Co, Birmingham and Deputy District Judge (Magistrates' Court).Mark Haslam, Burton Copeland, London.Peter Lewis, Chief Crown Prosecutor, Nottingham.Vivienne McGhee, justices' clerk at Herefored Magistrates' Court.Simon Mumford, Rausa Mumford, Cardiff, and council member.Christopher Murray, Kingsley Napley, London, and Crown Court Recorder.Sue Nelson, council member.Deepak Singh, prosecutor, Serious Crimes Unit, CPS.George Tranter, clerk to the justices, Wrexham Maelor & Berwyn Magistrates' Courts.Rodney Warren, Rodney Warren & Co, Eastbourne and council member.Graham White, council member, committee vice-chairman, Wheldon Campbell, Hertfordshire.