Gordon Brown survived the attempted mutiny by the Hoon-Hewitt axis of incompetent plots – although the political hyperventilators on TV were able to extract just a little bit more angst by filming David Miliband giving a lukewarm response ‘hours later’. Baron Mandelson of Foy etc etc…went onto Newsnight to give a calm, assured and only mildly sinister re-assurance that all is under his control and that Brown will continue to lead the Labour party into the next election. Guardian
Paxman was then able to say to Geoff Hoon…“If you are Brutus…then Caesar would be OK tonight” which rather set the tone for the rest of the interview – although Hoon gamely battled on to justify his action as settling the issue once and for all. Well, as Carl Gardner observed yesterday in a piece for the Wardman Wire – he certainly did that.
Lord Justice Jackson has handed his review of civil justice in to the Master of The Rolls
David Allen, writing in The Times, notes:“Not all the big Jackson stories last year were about celebrities. One of the biggest stories in the legal world was that of Lord Justice Jackson and his fundamental review of the costs of civil litigation and recommendations to promote access to justice at a proportionate cost. The report has been presented to the Master of the Rolls and is due to be published next week. The legal world waits with anticipation. Rightly so given that the potential for change is enormous: recommendations could stretch far beyond amendments to the costs rules. However, there is a general election looming and even without that, questions have already been asked about whether there is real political will to effect change.”
The Law Society Gazette reveals the astonishing news this morning….
LSB research reveals public ‘don’t know what lawyers do’
The even better news is that despite few members of the ‘public’ knowing what lawyers do..“The research, which was commissioned to mark the start of the LSB’s regulatory regime on 1 January, found a high degree of satisfaction with solicitors among the public.” Wunderbar.
And…it just gets better…
Amid economic gloom there is plenty of opportunity for the bar
The Law Society Gazette produces a veritable feast of opportunity for members of the Bar, most of it, it has to be said, coming from the human misery caused by the recession – in a very interesting piece by Lucy Trevelyan – who notes… “The recession might be maintaining its grip, but in the realms of consumer credit, fraud and insolvencies – and a host of other practice areas – barristers face a busy 2010 as serious thought is given to litigation.”
Advice for 2010? Love your clients and taking nothing for granted
Times: “Last year was traumatic for many law firms. Few avoided staff cutbacks or shorter time working. In many cases partners took home significantly less than they had earned in recent years and managing partners have had to take tough decisions to deal with the downturn. So does this week represent a turn of the page? Does a new decade mean a new chance?”
On the political blogging front, Iain Dale posted a very amusing human interest story last night: That Effing Gordon Brown
If ever there was a reason for men to learn to cook it is in Today’s Independent: Jilted woman ‘laced former lover’s curry with poison’
Iceland’s president Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson announced that he would not go ahead with the October agreement to repay €4bn (£3.6bn) lost in Icelandic bank Icesave, , but would instead put the bill out to a public referendum. The Lawyer reports on what Ashurst and Mishcon advised and noted..“As it stands at the moment the situation is seen as a political one, with no party seeking further legal advice at this stage.” Unfortunately, at this stage, no more work for lawyers on this front, then!
Paxman, on Newsnight last night, interviewed President Grimsson, describing Iceland as a country with a population the size of Wigan, castigated him for breaking an agreement which had been stitched together quite satisfactorily by the Iceland and British governments, asked him who he was to go behind that and basically put the boot in by treating Grimsson rather like a bailiff might treat a council tax debtor. Paxman’s parting shot to Grimsson that Britain would block Iceland’s entry to the European Union did not trouble the Iceland president – but may well have given comfort to some viewers.
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Blawg Watch…
John Flood has the gen on the future of global law at his RATs blog
Capitalists@Work reports: Retail sales figures are looking up | Geeklawyer is up to his arse in litigation but had to put drafting aside for a moment to comment on UK favouritism towards specific war criminals: Yea, but they’re our sons-of-bitches
Colin Samuels, Infamy or Praise, publishes his useful Round Tuit – weekly round up from blawgs: A Round Tuit (14) | Michael Scutt has a very comprehensive look at British law blogs. | John Bolch, Family Lore has a sardonic take on: We settled the divorce…
To crank up the legal content of his blog,White Rabbit produces a report on the sinisterly named Minister of Justice, Jack Straw. “I’m not quite sure what he’s got there…”
Corporate Law and Governance reports: In a speech delivered yesterday at the Work Foundation, Lord Mandelson, the Secretary of State for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills, stated that his Department was reviewing whether changes introduced by the Companies Act (2006) – including the introduction of Section 172, which sets out the duty of directors to promote the success of the company – had changed boardroom behaviour. Lord Mandelson had much more to say, including…..” Read the post
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Tales from…Tory HQ?…
Tweet of the morning…
I enjoy Paul Waugh’s blog…take look?
And a bit of snow… if you need yet more pics… this is where I do my Smokedo exercises… and weights. It is rather bracing out here at the moment. Like the views though.. lots of gulls, cormorants, swans, yachts and even a Castle at Upnor in the distance.The basin is an old Royal Naval Dockyard basin… they built HMS Victory and many famous warships at Chatham! This part is called ‘Chatham Maritime’ now… I like the place – but soon to leave to return to London.
Oh I wish I had seen Newsnight last night. Sounds like yon Paxo was a lean and hungry man in full form, and I do so love watching Mandelson in action (did you see him make toast of Andrew Marr a few months ago)
Could it be that most people don’t know what lawyers do – for their money. I know what they do but don’t know why many charge so much more than other professionals. I select / work with excellent lawyers that are prepared to work within sensible budgets as I do. You can get a very good deal from specialist sole practitioners.
Incisive insights as usual Charon. Thanks
Elizabeth: Bonjour – as to charges – I suspect that lawyers are no different from anyone else. They will assess the market, assess the client, decide whether they want the client – and then charge what they can get away with.
Paxman was on very good form last night. The whole Newsnight programme was interesting – including a rather disturbing film on the Lockerbie bomb case….
My goodness you covered it all there. Roll Brown in the snow?
how can people who go to a lawyer for advice on something and emerge satisfied as per the LSB research not know what it was they got their lawyer to do?
is this just research that asked the difference between, paraweasel, legal exec, Solicitor & wig jockey?
Sumoking – Bizarre, indeed!
I am looking forward to seeing whether the LSB achievcves objectives and proves to be a useful addition to the legal world.
Only time will tell….
The cold wearther does not stop Charon from cracking a joke.
‘Elizabeth: Bonjour – as to charges – I suspect that lawyers are no different from anyone else’
James c: Absolutely 🙂
Has anyone in the entire history of everything ever done something because the ineffable Hewitt and the ineffabler Hoon said it should be done?
Thought not.
the hewitt and the hoon – sounds like an edward lear nonsense poem.
or dr seuss; he migt have to go back to writing if the tories get in and cut the nhs.
The Hewitt and the Hoon/
Were walking hand in hand/
if only said the Hoon/
The law would understand.
Very poetic… I appear to get a ‘better’ class of anarchist on here commenting than on some of the political sites! Mind you – those commentators can be astonishingly funny and insightful as well as inciting …. when they run riot. This is why I prefer blogs, of all political persuasion, to mainstream media.
*applauds*