Keeping the dialogue going

Rightly or wrongly, the home secretary has a reputation for bashing lawyers.

And to be fair, he is not the only cabinet minister to take the odd high-profile swipe at the legal profession.

Lawyers are easy targets because, by the nature of their work - dealing with crime, disputes and other major events - they are involved in controversial and at times traumatic situations.

To many, David Blunkett has become a master of the practice of pillorying lawyers.

So it was interesting and encouraging to hear his speech at last weekend's solicitors' annual conference in Manchester.

Conciliation was the order of the day.

And by Mr Blunkett's own acknowledgement, the Law Society's considered response to the government's recently released criminal justice White Paper triggered in him a desire for rational debate and dialogue with solicitors.

If nothing else, his remarks show that Chancery Lane's lobbying and campaigning can reap direct practical rewards.

But warm words from the home secretary are one thing.

Now he must engage in a truly reasonable debate over issues in the White Paper that are still causing lawyers significant concern - potential erosion of the right to jury trial, the double jeopardy principle, and the rules of evidence that safeguard against miscarriages of justice.

Mr Blunkett has done the soft talking; now he must do the hard listening.