Bullying  (or attempts to bully) is one of the least attractive of human traits, often experienced in the playground sadly, but when seen in adults, and worse, by members of the legal profession -  is a disgrace. Today John Bolch of Family Lore reported on a story published by The Telegraph about allegations made against a barrister.  To cut a long story short, John Bolch repeatedly asked the barrister involved (who had cautioned John Bolch to remove the references to him on Family Lore) to answer a very simple question:  Is it true that allegations are being made against you as reported in The Telegraph? Mr Marc Beaumont of Windsor Chambers   did not wish to waste his time with John Bolch’s perfectly reasonable enquiry (and offer to remove the reference on Family Lore  if it transpired that The Telegraph was mistaken about allegations being made) - and threatened to add John as a party to the ‘future defamation proceedings faced by several parties’ . Enter Geeklawyer - in a beautifully constructed piece of writing… “Memo to idiot barristers: When you are in a hole stop digging…” Geeklawyer makes his views on bullying perfectly clear. Rightly. Read

Original post:
Hey ho… hey ho… it’s off to dig we go…

Rome fiddles while Nero burns? The country is going through the deepest recession since the Second World War, the G20 countries are to meet shortly but it would appear that some people have other things on their minds. Objection! Judges reject new robes The Independent: High Court judiciary say Betty Jackson designs make them look like characters from ‘Star Trek’ The Queen also appears to have matters of State on her mind. Ian Parker-Joseph, leader of The Libertarian Party UK asks if The Queen is thinking of dissolving Parliament following recent trips to The Palace by The Governor of The Bank of England and The Chief of The Defence Staff.  Are we to have a ‘Very British Junta?” Charon QC considers the matter. More fiddling while Rome burns occurred yesterday when a matter of national and pressing importance resulted in Parliament having to discuss this today - The Independent reports: “Royal succession rules may be reformed. Royal succession rules may be reformed. Buckingham Palace and PM in talks to give women equal rights to throne” I cannot really understand why this matter, hardly one of the great issues of our day, has to be resolved now given that The Queen is likely to live for another 20 years and celebrate her 100th birthday and there is no immediate sign of the wayward Princes wishing to marry nice catholic girls…. or is there? The issue has been tabled by Lib-Dem MP Evan Harris, to end the “uniquely discriminatory” rules laid down by the 1701 Act of Settlement. Res ipsa loquitur. Too young to retire at 70? We should work our judges until they are at least 75… In 1916 the Earl of Halsbury heard a case on the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords at 92. The Judicial Pensions and Retirement Act 1993 now provides that judges must retire at 70. The Times: is pre-occupied this morning with the thought that Supreme Court judges should work until they are 75. The news, law reports, an update to blogs and the daily news podcast is now up on Insite Law

Original post: 
27th March: I bring news of many things…

Is it time to call in the Generals? Yesterday, Ian Parker-Joseph joked, following Governor of the Bank of England Mrvyn King’s audience with The Queen (an event without precedent?),  that it would only be a matter of time before The Queen invityed the Generals in. Well… she has done just that.. or rather, Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup (Chief of the Defence Staff) has popped over to The Palace for a cuppa… or was it more?  Perhaps to advise about ‘readiness’?  Who knows? Perhaps Her Majesty just wanted an update on The Queen’s Flight or to know if her son ‘Airmiles Andy’ was using any of the aircraft for his important work near foreign golf courses? ? Today - Ian Parker-Joseph, leader of the Libertarian Party UK, reports: “Brown and Mandelson are both out of the country, and the signals are coming thick and fast, they are even re running ‘To play the King’ and ‘House of Cards’ on Sky… The madness that is NuLabour and the European project must be brought to and end, quickly. Could Her Majesty be seriously looking to sack Brown and force an election?” You may think that, Ian - I couldn’t possibly comment…. to borrow a much loved phrase from a particualrly venal, albeit fictional, exemplar of the political species. So, with Dan Hannan MEP ripping into Brown , with Brown being pilloried in polticial blogs and the dead sea press, with The City distinctly unimpressed by the offer to purcahse £1.75 billion of government IOUs yesterday - is it time for change? Is it time for an election? Can The Queen do it? YES, SHE CAN?

Read more here: 
Stick it up your Junta Mr Brown?

I met up with Geeklawyer on Friday for a short lunch. We talk together on his ridiculous white Google phone after he decided that we just had to do a podcast.  Here is the result.  I’ll get my coat… Listen to the podcast (And remember, do not do this at home - we are professionals)

More:
Drunken ramblings from London?…

And so here we are… coming up to the end of the week - has it been a good week for you? Twitter continues to amuse (or abused in my case) and here is an excellent short film for those who share my taste for parody. Tom Harris MP on his blog provides the following illustration of a professional busybody performing at world class levels.  I despair for our country sometimes. Here is a railway official who hasn’t quite got over Thomas The Tank Engine being officious.  I would have thought a train spotter the least likely disguise for a terrorist to adopt… but no, to this railway official this man presented  an ‘ever present danger’. Ian Parker-Joseph, leader of the Libertarian UK Party, writes in his blog: Craig Murray to accuse Jack Straw on torture before HR committee: “The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights has agreed to hear evidence from Craig Murray on torture on Tuesday 28 April at 1.45pm, where he will accuse Jack Straw of instituting and approving policy to accept intelligence from torture abroad. Craig tells us on his blog: I am delighted, as I have been trying for over four years to lay the truth about British torture policy before Parliament. I will testify that as British Ambassador I was told there is a very definite policy to accept intelligence from torture abroad, and that the policy was instituted and approved by Jack Straw when Foreign Secretary. I will tell them that as Ambassador I protested formally three times in writing to Jack Straw, and that the Foreign Office told me in reply to my protests that this was perfectly legal. I will prove my evidence with documentation.”

Originally posted here:
Just a few things…

19th March: News and daily news podcast up on Insite Law Major update of news and UK blogs

See the original post:
19th March: News and daily news podcast up on Insite Law

Legal Week has covered both of my recent podcasts - with Director of LAG, Steve Hynes and with Paul Marsh, President of The Law Society. Legal Week coverage

Original post:
The future of the profession after the recession

Lawcast 115: Dr Paul Mason on the Innocence Network UK Today I’m talking to Dr Paul Mason Senior Lecturer and Director of Postgraduate Research at Cardiff University School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies. He is Chair of the UK Innocence Network Committee and co-ordinates the Cardiff Nexus Innocence Project. He also runs the Prison Media Monitoring Unit and edited [jc2m] Journal for Crime, Conflict and Media Culture 2004-6.Today we are going to talk about the Innocence Network, how it works, who is involved and what benefits it brings to client and all involved. Today we are going to talk about the Innocence Network, how it works, who is involved and what benefits it brings to client and all involved. Listen to the podcast

See the original post:
Lawcast 115: Dr Paul Mason on the Innocence Network UK

Today I am talking to James Welch, Head of Legal for Liberty , the cross-party organization for the protection of civil liberties and human rights.  Liberty was one of the sponsors the recent Convention on Modern Liberties and Shami Chakrabati the Director of Liberty is well known through television, radio and press coverage for promoting the views and interests of Liberty. We talk about the history, aims and objectives of Liberty and three topical and current issues of our times: ID Cards, the use of torture and freedom of speech. Listen to the podcast with James Welch | Podcast version for iTunes

See more here: 
Lawcast 112: James Welch, Head of Legal for LIBERTY