Royal Blackmail and other things…

The Scotsman reports that the Foreign Press are rushing to publish the name of the minor Royal involved in the blackmail case. The Scotsman does not name the Royal - although Scotland does not appear to be covered by the English court ruling, restricting publication of the name. It appears that if the [...]

Justice… needs to be done…

Justice needs to be seen to be done - except, quite reasonably, in blackmail cases. I cannot believe that Geeklawyer would ever dream of breaching a court order, nor has he with his invitation to guess the identity of the minor royal in the blackmail case. However, if one types “Royal Blackmail blogs” into Google [...]

How Eurostar is promoting Londres to the French…

Norman Baird, a good mate of mine over at Consilio had an extraordinary experience today with Eurostar. Best to relate it in his own words…
I quote:
Am I easily shocked ?
As a frequent traveller on Eurostar I receive promotional email updates from them. Most are dull and formulaic. But not the one I received today. [...]

Saturday Review 27/10…

Today is Saturday. The clocks go back at 2.00 am. I’ve decided to trial a “Saturday Review” with various elements containing the real, the surreal, the bizarre and something for readers to do, should they wish to do them. It may work. It may not. We shall see.
Let me start with the [...]

The nights are drawing in…

Hugo Rifkind, writing in The Times today, has a piece about the leader of the Australian opposition, Kevin Rudd, eating his own ear wax.
I have absolutely no idea why anyone would wish to do this, nor eat their own bogeys, but at least our revered leader, Gordon Brown, can go one better. Guido Fawkes [...]

Education for the curious, please…

I  have been invited (in another guise) by Alex Novarese, Editor of Legal Week, to write for the Legal Week Legal Village section.  Delighted to do so.  My first short piece on legal education for the curious…If you wish to read it: Please click here

Caption competition: October 07…

I woke at 3.00 am this morning, dealt with some emails, finished an article I am working on and decided it was time for a Caption Competition.
Wildy’s have agreed to provide a book prize to the value of £25 and if you are a student and win, LAWinaBOX will throw in a set of [...]

It wasn’t me M’Lud… it was my brain…

After trying to cope with the idea that lawyers may not be around in 100 years (See below, next post down: Frances Gibb article) I went for lunch, picked up The Times and read a piece by Raymond Tallis, Professor of Medicine at The University of Manchester, on ‘the dubious rise of neurolaw’.
The article [...]

Roundup…

An interesting speech by Lord Phillips on the Jury (23 October): “Trusting the Jury”
In his address, Lord Phillips, announced the establishment of a working party, led by Lord Justice Latham, which will examine simplifying the legal directions judges give to juries. Do they need over complex directions, or should they be trusted to [...]

Police State…erosion of liberties?…

I am a bit slow off the mark here and I am grateful to Iolis who posted the information and links to this interesting case of Police exceeding their powers on the Consilio Discussion Board.
Film-maker Darren Pollard was clearing up flood rubbish from his fron garden [...]

To be… or not to be?…

It was not to be.

On the eve of glory?….

You may be forgiven for thinking that I refer to the Rugby tonight… but not so. I am referring to the UK Blawgers drinkfest on Monday 22nd October, organised jointly, but in different venues (temporarily) by Geeklawyer and Ruthie’s Law, which, regrettably, I am not able to attend for the reasons given in my [...]

Not approved by Dawn Primarolo, Health Minister… so no need for a referendum…

Geeklawyer and Ruthie (founders of the First UK Lawyer’s Blawging Conference - which I did manage to ‘attend’ appear to be holding a drinks party for UK Blawgers this Monday - 22nd October - (all welcome) at different locations in London. First UK Blawger’s Conference Report by Geeklawyer

Geeklawyer has [...]

I’m on a plane…. Yeah…. A f*****g plane….

The Times reports today: Ofcom is planning to licence aircraft to link up with base stations, enabling passengers to use their mobile phones.
Great. Bloody marvellous. Imagine sitting back after eating an airline meal, washed down with a decent bottle, to watch a film or sleep. In the next row Mr [...]

Marketing for Dummies?….

Excellent nonsense…. some seriously weird marketing…

RollonFriday picks up on the fact that Eversheds are looking for some very unusual people. I quote from the RollonFriday website:
Innovateer: the innovative volunteer, who has “good reason to appear effervescent”.
Knowlivator: the knowledgeable motivator - “they don’t just have big brains; they have big personalities too”.
Logithiser: the logical empathiser, [...]

The curse of the drinking classes?…

It was only a matter of time before Health Ministers would start their assault on topers and drinkers - not an inconvenient way of distracting attention from other more serious problems with the health service and MRSA et al.
Here we have Dawn Primarolo, the Public Health Minister - who was unable to answer difficult [...]

Ming dynasty ends…

Sir Menzies Campbell leaving Lib-Dem Headquarters last night?
We have England v South Africa rugby to look forward to this weekend. Will England do it? An amazing turnover if they do.
The Mirror reports: Playwright Oscar Wilde, who even managed to mutter on his death bed “Either those curtains go or I do”, [...]

Ian Grigg-Spall, Kent Law School on BPP degree powers…

Ian Grigg-Spall, Academic Chair, Kent Law School gave Consilio permission to reprint his letter to The Times Higher Education supplement about BPP’s degree awarding powers - robust stuff. Worth a read.
For podcasts with BPP / College of Law / Nottingham on these new powers - please visit Charon Podcasts.

Law Society to be carbon neutral….

I lie awake at night sometimes, worrying about the melting ice, and whether I will wake to find The Bollo knee deep in melt water because of global warming. I don’t … in truth. I am hyperbolating. In any event, I have a pair of rubber Wellington boots. I have [...]

A wonderful bit of Britishness…

Sir John Bourn, head of the spending watchdog (National Audit Office), faces calls for his resignation after “it emerged that he had been eating in London’s finest restaurants and travelling first class, costing the taxpayer almost half a million pounds.” (The Times Friday 12 October) Apparently Sir John has guzzled his way through [...]