OBITER – Page 80
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NewsPen pally
On the topic of satisfied clients, what is the nicest letter you have ever received? Neil McCormick of Somerset gets the ball rolling with a missive (from a well-known actress) saying: ‘Your letter was so clear I can’t believe it was written by a lawyer.’ ‘I have attempted to live ...
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NewsSkin-deep tolerance for needle work
Even in these dress-down days, it seems one fashion item is still a no-no for lawyers. A survey on attitudes to visible tattoos in 13 occupations places lawyers fourth from bottom in public acceptability. Apparently, 57% of people are comfortable with tattooed lawyers, compared with 73% who think it OK ...
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NewsEU Patent Court on our patch? Let's talk
Among several omissions from last week’s ‘position paper’ setting out how the government plans to resolve disputes with the EU after Brexit is any mention of the Unified Patent Court, an arm of which is now taking physical shape in London. Obiter’s suspicion is that Whitehall does not want to ...
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NewsCourt is worth the trip - shame about the coffee
Whether it’s a hotel or a restaurant, Obiter’s due diligence always includes a glance at TripAdvisor to see if the experience has prompted any stinkers of reviews. So congratulations to the Supreme Court on being awarded the TripAdvisor certificate of excellence. It tweets: We’ve been awarded the @TripAdvisor Certificate ...
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NewsMemory lane
The Law Society Gazette, 6 September 2007 Non-lawyer partners get 2008 green light Multi-disciplinary partnerships and non-lawyer investment in law firms are set to become a reality next year under government plans for a limited early introduction of alternative business structures, the Gazette can reveal. The government says the changes ...
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NewsHarvey brings out the best in the bar
Colleagues in the US are defying the popular stereotype of the American lawyer by mobilising to provide free help for victims of the Hurricane Harvey disaster. Working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and local legal aid offices, the American Bar Association’s young lawyers division has set up helplines ...
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NewsLidington offers nothing of interest
Much of the media focus on last week’s MPs’ register of interests was on Theresa May’s shoe shop discount card and Ed Miliband’s £2,500 payment for a presenting stint on BBC Radio 2. For those with an eye on legal matters, the register, which covers interests as at 31 July, ...
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NewsTrust and transparency
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is keen for law firms to be transparent over the fees they charge. In the spirit of openness, therefore, it seemed only right to ask how much the regulator spent on its Trust and the Market conference held in London in June. Louise Minchin ...
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NewsOur new moral entrepreneurs
I wonder if the demonstrations over the Charlie Gard case, the opposition to Martin Moore-Bick in the Grenfell Tower inquiry and the general attack on the judiciary over the Brexit hearings are the start of what sociologists call a ‘symbolic’ crusade – complete with ‘moral entrepreneurs’. In a symbolic crusade ...
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NewsMoJ’s word is its bond
The trouble with the ‘churn-rate’ at the very top of the Ministry of Justice is that ministers aren’t always around to take the credit for brilliant ideas when they prove right. So it is with the Cohort 2 trial (Peterborough) of ‘payment by results’ resettlement support scheme. MoJ research concludes ...
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NewsMemory lane
The Law Society Gazette, 2 August 2007 Senior judges fear threat to independence The chairman of the constitutional affairs select committee has slammed the government following a damning report on the Ministry of Justice’s creation. ‘What is at stake is something that is fundamental to our constitution,’ Alan Beith MP ...
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NewsCourts service action plan speaks volumes
Good to see that the courts service is getting the hang of the agile thinking which is so vital in our modern world. In its annual report, HMCTS records that permanent staff numbers are down by 1,800 in five years, as eye-watering cuts hit home. To fill the gaps, the ...
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NewsSolicitor hangs after forgery
In 1789, Shropshire solicitor Thomas Phipps, his son Thomas Jnr and their clerk, 16-year-old William Thomas, went on trial at Shrewsbury Assizes for the capital offence of forgery. The victim was a Richard Coleman, once an excise officer and now an Oswestry publican. Phipps senior had leased two parcels of ...
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NewsWell it's one for the money...
Does the Intellectual Property Office have any old rockers on its books? A hearing officer has ruled against Scottish brewery BrewDog in its trademark dispute with the estate of the late Elvis Aaron Presley, better known as The King. BrewDog, to promote its ‘Elvis Juice’ beer, applied to ...