Last 3 months headlines – Page 1737
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Trial by ordeal
The letter from Kat Gibson, chair of the Junior Lawyers Division, concerning newly qualified solicitors appearing in court interested me (see [2008] Gazette, 18 September, 9). In the old days we were not given any training in this field. However, for my sins, I was asked to do a trial ...
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Gaining experience
I was articled in 1952 to a local advocate in Hastings. Where he went, I went, and I was lucky enough to hear on a regular basis high-quality advocacy from fine solicitors, some very good barristers and, on occasion at Assizes, high-quality leaders. One listened and learned. ...
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Left for dead
Following last week’s letter bemoaning the use of the verb ‘to gift’, I wonder how many of your readers also use the verb ‘to dead’. We routinely ‘dead’ our files, and on a recent management training course a number of non-lawyers were highly amused at this concept, and wondered if ...
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New career goal
Guarding a goalmouth in hockey requires lightning reactions, nerves of titanium, and a general indifference to physical pain. As these are also perfect qualities for a career in law, we can expect great things from 24-year-old Jessica Bowman, who has just completed her training contract at Preston firm MWR Solicitors.
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Seeing red
‘A criminal crime simply does not make sense!’ shouted an exasperated Russian interpreter in front of stunned delegates, before slamming the door shut on his sound booth. Following an already fiery exchange regarding the recent conflict in Georgia, the Russia & Rule of Law seminar at the Bar Council’s Holborn ...
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Water warriors
It was no baptism of fire for trainee solicitor Ashley King. It was more a dunking in freezing, peat-stained water. The trainee at 11-partner Black Country commercial law firm George Green was part of a four-man team competing in the Lakes Challenge – a gruelling seven hours of mountain biking, ...
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Poles apart
The wolves are circling, the temperature is dropping, and darkness is all around. No, Obiter isn’t getting lyrical about the credit crunch and recession, but simply describing the icy reality soon to be experienced by a client of Sussex law firm Rix & Kay. Managing partner Bruce Hayter explains: ‘We ...
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Family law
Agreements – Ancillary relief – Reliance – Trust funds – Time limits – Notice to show cause S v S (2008): Fam Div (Mrs Justice Eleanor King): 20 August 2008. ...
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Criminal procedure
Administration of justice offences – Concept of court – Failure to attend – Service by the court – Witness summaries R v Harish Popat: CA (Crim Div) (Lord Justice Hughes, Mrs Justice Dobbs, Judge Pert QC): 28 July 2008. ...
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Criminal law
Benefit from criminal conduct – Confiscation orders – Fraudulent evasion of duty R v Steven Waller: CA (Crim Div) (Lord Justice Gage, Mr Justice Silber, Judge Radford): 18 July 2008.
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Human rights
Bail – Detention without charge – Right to liberty and security – Terrorism R (on the application of I) (claimant) v (1) City Of Westminster Magistrates’ Court (2) Chief Constable of Manchester Police (defendants) and Crown Prosecution Service ...
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Banking and finance
Hospitality and leisure – Credit – Debts – Dishonour of cheques – Gambling Aspinall’s Club Ltd v Fouad Al-Zayat: QBD (Comm) (Mr Justice Teare): 3 September 2008. The claimant ...
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PEP talks and hard lessons
Will the City learn from the recession of the early 1990s? These troubled economic times spell danger for big City firms in more ways than one. Clearly there are short-term difficulties in certain sectors – most notably property – and rarely a day goes by now ...
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A question of priorities
Government plans to slash the courts service budget will have a damaging effect on the public’s access to justice. Black holes in space are a scientific fact, but black holes in public sector budgets are often a matter of dispute. This is the case with the ...
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Calm after the storm?
Turbo-capitalism has hit the wall and City firms are already feeling the pain. But it could have been a lot worse, as lawyers seek to advise those affected by the market turmoil. It’s an ill wind and all that. As City law firms try to catch ...
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Market chaos sparks client money fears
The security of billions of pounds of client money held in UK banks was called into question this week following the apparent near-collapse of HBOS, Britain’s biggest mortgage lender. Law firms across the UK reported being inundated with calls from clients worried that cash pooled in ...
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Forty per cent of conveyancing firms lay off staff
Four out of ten conveyancing firms have cut staff numbers because of the fall in home sales, according to a survey by search provider Searchflow published this week. The poll, seen exclusively by the Gazette, revealed that 40% of firms have cut their headcount in response ...