For those following the gripping saga of Redruth solicitor J P Leaning and his quest for blanket permission from Ken Clarke to take a handheld recording device into any court – an update. Leaning has informed Obiter that he has still to receive a reply from the minister, who seems ‘incredibly coy’ on the subject. The solicitor wonders whether Clarke may in fact be willing to correspond, but has perhaps had the misfortune to have his dictation machine confiscated? Obiter will make sure Gazette readers are the first to know as soon as Clarke manages to dictate and dispatch a response.