Out, damned SOC! Out I say! When will Ambridge be free? Discuss The Archers here

[PseudoBadger]

A once-great soap is going down the Beverley drain.

The only motivation I can find for Anna is that she has sussed Rob as an abuser and she wants to bring him to justice.

A long shot this - if I were the SAB and read about the case in the papers I would try to re-open the assault case. I would probably consider selling my story to the tabloids.

R4 this seems to be an issue in TA. I have never understood why Kate's family go out of their way for her all the time, why Pip talks to her parents like they are the paid help, and none of them say a damn thing.
Then the parents claim they are independent women - ha ha.
Maybe its because independent means something else in TA World

The ethical explanation for Anna not to drop the case is the cab-rank rule, barristers are not supposed to discriminate against clients, I'm not sure you can just drop cases because the client is being rude.
The explanation for Anna doing the solicitor's legwork is... No legal rule or ethical obligation, it isn't her job, she probably has no experience in doing that sort of thing so she is doing it worse than a solicitor would and is actually doing her client a misservice (as well as the other clients she is probably neglecting to chase down evidence for Helen, and Pat and Tony whom she is probably charging a massive hourly rate, unless she is doing it for legal aid rates in which case she will not be earning enough to live on).
The real explanation is that SOC liked the programme "Criminal Justice" which was excellent and is taking almost every element from it and copy-pasting ineptly into the Archers. Criminal Justice got the barrister-solicitor division correct, though.

The ethical explanation for Anna not to drop the case is the cab-rank rule, barristers are not supposed to discriminate against clients, I'm not sure you can just drop cases because the client is being rude.

It's not the being rude. It's the evasiveness and refusal to give her defence team anything to go on. Speaking as a non-lawyer, I'd either dump the client or get her assessed for MH.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/radio_addicts/2703416-Are-you-still-listening-to-The-Archers-Whether-youve-plodded-on-through-the-bumpy-storylines-or-have-given-up-on-it-all-you-are-welcome-here?watched=1

Also when she was pregnant she did see a psychiatrist, but as far as we know it was just once. Pat'n'Tone are too busy handwringing to be of any practical assistance. Its very annoying to put it mildly

R4 fair enough - but I still don't think you can just "drop the client". The Bar Standards Board's guidance states that you have to accept a client (subject to your own experience, suitability etc) irrespective of any belief or opinion that you have on the client's cause, character, guilt or innocence.
The BSB handbook sets out rules on ceasing to act. You have to obtain client consent - there are other acceptable reasons, but you are explicitly not allowed to cease to act because the case or the behaviour of the client have become objectionable to you.
There used to be a rule actually prohibiting barristers from collecting evidence, and they cannot be involved in conducting a case in court if there is a likelihood they might be called as a witness.

Thanks Cecile. I think Anna needs to engineer an 'accidental' suggestion to Rob that he calls on her to be a witness - character reference against Helen, from back in the day and now! to show she's always been a prickly, difficult person.