A stroll down Gazette memory lane

Gazette 28 April 2011

Juror ‘contempt’ over Facebook contact

A juror who allegedly contacted a defendant through Facebook during a trial could face jail for contempt of court. Attorney general Dominic Grieve has applied to the High Court for permission to pursue contempt proceedings against the juror, who is alleged to have contacted the acquitted defendant during a 10-week drugs trial while the jury had still to reach verdicts on other defendants.

26 April 2001

Government told to cut legal costs

Government expenditure on legal advice from external firms – currently standing at £61m – should be cut by 10%, according to a National Audit Office report published this week. Of the £61m spent last year, 11% went to only five City firms.

24 April 1991

Ethnic minority initiative gets warm welcome

Reaction to the appointment of Mr Justice Brooke as chairman of the new ethnic minorities advisory committee to the Judicial Studies Board has been overwhelmingly favourable. The main brief of the committee will be to advise the JSB on race issues affecting the justice system.

29 April 1981

BBC Nationwide - a travesty

Solicitors who saw the ‘Nationwide’ feature ‘Watchdog’ on 13 April will no doubt have been concerned at the allegations made in it, and the apparent lack of an adequate response by the Law Society. This was due to an inadequate warning by the programme of the areas it was proposing to cover. As a result, the secretary-general has written a letter of complaint to the director-general of the BBC.

May 1941

Registration of men and women for industrial purposes

The Council have again been assured that the Ministry of Labour and National Service do not intend to call upon solicitors or their clerks to take industrial work if they are fully and necessarily occupied in their profession and cannot be released.

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