March 2008

The image of young lawyers: an expression of genuine concern

March 31, 2008

It’s been brought to my attention by someone who has time for things other than blogging that BBC TV’s Sir Alan Sugar, in his search for yet another Apprentice, has been landed with three lawyers in this year’s crop of hopefuls. This one fortunately was slapped out with a wet fish in the first round [...]

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It’s an ill wind…

March 31, 2008

I was a bit puzzled at first by the headline to this Times piece: a lawyer would be the last person I’d ask to guess the economic fallout from the credit crunch. But litigation is the fallout they mean. No doubt there will be lots of that against banks and hedge funds, litigation of the [...]

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Pakistan: the restoration must be completed

March 31, 2008

I’ve not blogged about Pakistan for a while, but of course I’m delighted that there’s now a new government under Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, and that following his first order, political prisoners including deposed Chief Justice Iftihkhar Chaudhry have now been released, and that he and other released leaders of the lawyers’ movement, like [...]

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The Fayed circus draws to a close

March 31, 2008

Scott Baker LJ has apparently told the jury that Prince Philip didn’t murder Diana. I expect Fayed’s thinking of judicially reviewing him as I write.

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What’s consequential, and what’s inconsequential

March 27, 2008

This post from SpyBlog about clause 43 of the draft Constitutional Renewal Bill has attracted a lot of attention today – Guido Fawkes, Iain Dale and Dizzy have all picked up on it. But it’s nowhere near as outrageous as they fear. Clause 43 simply gives ministers a power to make consequential amendments: in other [...]

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Bilge, bollocks and fudge

March 27, 2008

Simon Carr of the Independent seems to share my feelings about the government’s constitutional reform plans.

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Insult, injury and information: Speaker Martin should now resign

March 26, 2008

Speaker Martin is making matters worse by applying the sub judice rule to his own appeal against the Information Tribunal’s ruling. The one place, therefore, that there can be no discussion of this incredible appeal is in the Commons itself among its members. This is in my view an unreasonable and abusive exercise of his [...]

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An insult to the public

March 26, 2008

I’m astonished by the news that the Speaker has decided, apparently based on new legal advice, to appeal against the decision of the Information Tribunal that certain details of the expenses of fourteen named MPs must be disclosed. An appeal has to be on a point of law; all I can think is that the [...]

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Rumours, market manipulation and HBOS

March 20, 2008

The FSA is investigating what appears to have been a “trash and cash” operation relating to HBOS shares: this is where someone (perhaps a bank trader or a hedge fund) for a fee borrows shares, say in HBOS, promising to return them on a fixed date; sells them, say at £1 each; then does something, [...]

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District of Columbia v Heller

March 19, 2008

Another fascinating case was argued before the US Supreme Court yesterday: in this case, the question before the court is whether the second amendment to the US Constitution, which guarantees citizen’s right to bear arms, precludes state laws outlawing handgun ownership. A transcript of yesterday’s oral argument is here; and here are merits briefs for [...]

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