Courts are places for the dispensation of justice, not vulgar commerce

by Richard Buxton who heads a small firm in Cambridge specialising in environmental and public law

As the solicitors in Buxton v Mills-Owens [2010] EWCA Civ 122 who stood to lose all profit costs, the Court of Appeal’s decision that we terminated our retainer with our erstwhile client Mr Mills-Owens with good reason was a relief (see Law reports). We had been instructed to put points to the court, which were in an administrative law context unarguable, and we and counsel had declined to do so.