In the recent case R v James [2018] EWCA Crim 285, three applications for leave to appeal were joined together because they all shared a similar feature that had nothing to do with fresh evidence or the nature of the crimes the applicants were convicted of – all the lawyers were ‘fresh lawyers’, in the sense that they hadn’t represented the accused at trial or in relation to an initial application to appeal, and were looking to renew these refused applications by lodging new grounds.