At Dr Johnson's house behind London's Fleet Street, James Dingemans QC last week celebrated the launch of Butterworth's first Employer's Liability Cases, which he co-authored.

The star of the Hutton inquiry had sweetly invited his parents along.

His father, rear admiral Peter Dingemans, was naturally proud of his son.

But did he go to see him in action at the Hutton inquiry? No, apparently he feared that if he got himself a seat it would appear that he had been given a privilege over the crowd outside, and he did not want to put his son off.

On the contrary, says James, his father's presence would not have affected his performance.

The latter was memorably described by one broadsheet as having the looks of a 'matinee idol'.

'Anyone who thinks that was clearly never in the tribunal,' says Dingemans junior modestly.

Meanwhile, City firm Field Fisher Waterhouse is the first to deploy the Hutton factor in person, trumpeting the great man's presence at a charity event one of its lawyers - Harminder Bains - and barrister Adam Dawson organised at the Great Hall at St Bartholomew's hospital in London, which raised more than 15,000 for Dr Robin Rudd's mesothelioma cancer research.