Those who have studied Latin know that it is much more efficient than English.

More can be said with fewer words.

The right answer to those who say that Latin should not be used because people don't understand it is: 'Well, teach them, then.'

But that cause is lost when illiteracy, even in English, is growing.

It puzzles me, though, that the Civil Procedure Rules 1998 made two changes that defy the trend.

In relation to costs, 'party and party' has been sacrificed for inter partes (raw Latin and a minor example of its efficiency) and 'leave' (a good short Saxon word) has become 'permission' (a longer Latin-based word).

Kevin Beach, KB-Law, Beckenham, Kent