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Lawyer lays down rules over Miller trial review
Reporter: Richard Hooton
Date online: 26 January 2010
THE former lawyer probing the collapse of the Vance Miller fraud trial has emphasised his independence and authority in dealing with the case.
Oldham Council has appointed Stewart Dobson to conduct a review into the bungled trading standards prosecution of the kitchens boss.
Judge Jonathon Foster QC threw the case out of court after ruling the £5 million investigation and 17-week trial had been “misconceived from the start.”
He called the prosecution “an abuse of the process of the court” and said he could not rely on the evidence of Oldham Trading Standards (OTS) head Tony Allen, who has been suspended by the council ahead of the review’s findings.
Mr Dobson worked for 32 years as a lawyer for various large local authorities, including more than 13 years for Birmingham City Council, mainly as the director of legal services but finishing his career as acting chief executive. He now works as a local government consultant and sits on the board of University Hospitals Birmingham.
Mr Dobson said: “This is a long-standing and complex case going back to 2006, and I have been asked to conduct a full review into the circumstances surrounding the abandonment of the trial on January 12, 2010, and to undertake any necessary investigation under the council’s disciplinary procedures.
“I would like to make it clear that it will be for me to decide as I think right who I should see and what I should look at as part of my review.
“The district auditor has had an input into the issues that will be reviewed and we have also agreed to continue to liaise closely throughout my time in Oldham.
“Oldham Council has further stated that it will provide me with the fullest co-operation and that it expects all other parties to do the same. I have previously conducted several such reviews for other local authorities across the UK and I am satisfied with the arrangements the council has made in order to assist me. I would like to thank the chief executive and his staff for their co-operation.
“I intend to conduct the review in a timely and open manner and to report as soon as possible.”
Comments
How is this Dobson going to decide who or what he looks at. Is he being guided by any terms of reference and exactly who is he answering to? Parker, Sykes and Alcock? This is going to be whitewashed so that all those responsible are left untainted.
not content with wasting millions of rate payers money, the council decides to waste some more on a highly paid lawyer. I think we all know that the reason for the appointment is for senior staff to attempt to avoid the finger being pointed at them and so they can defend calls for resignations.
The buck should stop with the chief exec, why hasn't it?
How much will Mr Dobsons report now cost the tax payers of Oldham?
Another expensive white wash
To merely have an internal review would be more likely to be regarded as a whitewash. My only concern is that it is my understanding that Mr Dobson and his terms of reference were determined by solely Parker and Sykes. In a case like this, where the issue of the quality of governance of the borough is concerned, there should have been cross party consultation.
Investigations into the accusations were started before the Liberals took over Oldham. They had to be done because of all the complaints that were being received from all over the country.
Nobody will convince me that the decision by the Liberals to go ahead with a potentially expensive and risky court case was made by a low level officer without the approval of Sykes, Alcock and Parker.
They should behave like proper men and accept their responsibility.
oh not another report? is this all ombc are good at? commisioning reports?
Town hall, boundry park, gritting levels, decaying road conditions, cinema and bowling complex and now this?
notice anything about all these above? nothing ever happened or they've failed to materialise. all at our expense!
suprisingly they never did a report into broadway library did they? they just rushed that through!
Have Your Say
Who appointed this man? Charlie Parker? Why does there have to be an 'independent' review? Are Parker, Sykes ans Alcock not sure what happened and did they have no involvement at all in the entire process? Who authorised the proceedings to be taken as far as they were, one of the three must know. Strange how Parker uses the word complex, and that's the same as this Dobson character has.
By ProDriver @ 26/01/2010 12:45:23