Courting controversy

There's nothing like a new name to make everything better.

That, at least, seems to be the approach taken at the Central London County Court.

Last week, Lord Chancellor's Department minister Baroness Scotland unveiled its new designation as the Central London Civil Justice Centre before lunching with its judges.

The senior judge at the centre, Judge Paul Collins, later said proudly: 'The Central London Civil Justice Centre will continue in its efforts to improve access to justice for both litigants and lawyers.' It was unfortunate timing, therefore, that at pretty much the same time, Lord Justice Anthony May - the deputy head of civil justice and the man responsible for the county courts - was agreeing with a questioner at the Law Society's civil litigation conference that the Central London County Court was in something of a mess and needed to be sorted out.

Perhaps new signage is what he meant.