Unless a showbiz personality is involved, the Court of Appeal rarely attracts such a swarm that an overspill room has to be allocated – but then it rarely has to rule on an issue which has major repercussions for lawyers.

Despite the competition from a certain high-profile privacy case, Mazur was this week’s hot ticket as posses of high-flying barristers were instructed to debate the Legal Services Act and whether legal executives, paralegals and trainees can lawfully conduct litigation.

Space was so limited that legal teams even set up camp outside Court 71 to ensure they found a seat, bringing with them a full picnic as if they were waiting for the gates to open at Wimbledon. The feast even extended to a tub full of cupcakes. 

Much as this case is of great interest to the legal sector, master of the rolls Sir Geoffrey Vos occasionally appeared bemused that so much time was being spent on the debate. After hearing submissions from CILEX, the Law Society and the SRA, Sir Geoffrey interjected to say interpreting the act was at times akin to deciding ‘how many angels can stand on the point of a needle’.

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