There was one much-missed absentee at the forum - Dominic Clayden of Norwich Union. Much missed from our point of view, at least, if not that of claimant solicitors, because Mr Clayden - whom Obiter has always found highly personable - is well known for often saying at these forums whatever it is that will coincidentally most wind up those on the other side of the personal injury divide. This arguably makes him the most, shall we say, controversial defendant lawyer of them all but given who he represents, his views cannot be ignored and it is important to point out that he has played a pivotal role in the progress the council has made over recent years in personal injury. But then it was also Norwich Union that came up with the idea of a bunch of flowers to replace the small claims procedure, and that kind of inflammatory input was sadly lacking last week. And his colleagues in the defendant industry confided that they too were unhappy that he could not join them. After all, how can they come over as the good cops to the claimant solicitors in the room when the bad cop isn't around?