I am passing on the extremely sad news that Kim Speller died away peacefully last night. It is with a heavy heart that I share this information with you. During this unbearably difficult moment, I am thinking about James and the rest of his family. Due to the fact that he had a natural empathy for his clients and was always willing to lend a helping hand by going to the police station or court, he worked diligently until the very end of his life.
He came very close to finishing the entire year of his 50th practising certificate. Bill was an incredibly talented advocate who served as a dominant figure in both the magistrates’ court and the Court of Appeal. He had the potential to have a prosperous career in the legal profession. When it became feasible for solicitors to attend in trials before the Crown court in the middle of the 1990s, he made full advantage of the opportunity.
Bill was born in Wales, and when he was in his teens, he became an orphan. He went on to earn a law degree from Oxford, and he eventually became a solicitor in the 1970s. Following the completion of his studies with Ben Birnberg, he was given the position of legal officer at the National Council for Civil Liberties.
He utilized his abilities on behalf of reluctant servicemen, young people, gypsies, and travelers during a period of time when action on human rights was still in its infancy. He also understood the significance of the European Convention on Human Rights, which resulted in an impact on a number of cases.
There were a number of high-profile trials that took place in the 1970s. During the controversial ABC trial that took place at the Old Bailey in 1978, Bill, who was now acting independently, took on the defense of journalist Crispin Aubrey.
The defendants in the trial were charged with offenses under the Official Secrets Act, with Aubrey being accused with unauthorised receipt of confidential material. Legislation pertaining to confidentiality was reexamined as a result of the trial and the campaign that surrounded it.
