Bar to progress

The government's response to its In the Public Interest consultation on regulating the legal profession may be awaited with something approaching bated breath, but the Lord Chancellor appears to be busy sending signals to his chums at the bar that they need fear no reform of substance to the QC system, one of the five areas under the spotlight.

Feisty Liberal Democrat peer Lord Lester of Herne Hill has put a series of written questions to Lord Irvine regarding the legitimacy of the QC system in recent weeks, and each one is being batted back with increasing force.

The latest saw Lord Irvine explain that 'my role in the appointment of Queen's Counsel ...

is justified because it helps consumers make the best use of the advocacy services available'.

If this is the case, one wonders, why does the government not get involved in other fields, such as which bank managers offer the best financial advice? But having made life miserable for many barristers doing publicly funded work, as well as jumping on the 'fat cat' bandwagon from time to time, perhaps Lord Irvine believes it is time to give his old dining pals a break.