Legal training CPD provider Matthew Hickling has completed a two-day criminal practice training course for Manx advocates.

Arranged by the Isle of Man Law Society, the sessions form part of the society’s career development programme designed to expose advocates to specialist legal expertise.

Over the two days Mr Hickling, who has been delivering legal training courses in the Isle of Man for some 10 years, covered advocates’ duties in the police station and in court, drawing on a range of real cases to explore the complexity of sentencing principles.

Mr Hickling explained: ‘The aim of the course is skills training by getting advocates to engage with their colleagues in discussion groups, work as a cohesive unit and spark ideas off one another.

‘One element of the course is about encouraging a more flexible thought process. Advocates largely work alone and it’s useful in sessions such as these to compare best practice concepts and real life experiences. It’s effectively “quality control” for advocates to ensure their skills and knowledge are refreshed and that they maintain good standards of service delivery.’