Monthly Archive for September, 2007

Open letter to Jack Straw

By NL on 24/09/2007. 0 Comments

Dear Minister for Justice,

I note that in your address to the Society of Labour Lawyers you asked for the help of the legal profession in finding out why England and Wales spend more on legal aid than ‘any other nation’.

I am somewhat surprised that you haven’t got civil servants, advisory groups, commons committees and professional bodies who can explain this to you. I thought the Committee on Constitutional Affairs and the Law Society had tried to give explanations and suggestions, amongst many others. But I am delighted that you seek our views and trust that you will consider the following.

The increase in the legal aid budget that … Read the full post

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Stop Equal Pay Claims – EOC

By NL on 22/09/2007. 2 Comments

I was, to put it demotically, gobsmacked by the content of a ‘warning’ from the Equal Opportunities Commission that the Employment Tribunal system is creaking under the weight of claims brought by those naughty ‘no win no fee’ solicitors. When they have exhausted the public sector, says Chair Jenny Watson, they will turn on the private sector.

And now the truly jaw dropping part:

The majority of cases involve local authorities, but the commission says the private sector is just as vulnerable to claims.

It warns that “no win, no fee” lawyers will continue to fuel the number of women challenging employers. The commission suggests a new system in which

… Read the full post

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Enough already

By NL on 20/09/2007. 0 Comments

My last post on the Hyman affair (at least unless or until something else interesting turns up) is just a pointer to this story, an ‘exclusive’ interview with Hyman’s client. I had missed this on the entirely justifiable basis that it was in the Mail on Sunday. It manages, in a quite glorious way, to make you loathe everyone involved in the whole saga.

Unsurprisingly I was right a week or two ago. Hyman’s client, the former ‘radio executive’, naturally being skint because ‘I had not worked since my marriage broke up’, is suing him. Ms Sanders Young demonstrates the creative flair that supported her media career by deftly avoiding … Read the full post

Posted in Various (non-housing).

Hyman and Doughty Street

By NL on 19/09/2007. 0 Comments

Doughty Street Chambers have a press release on their front page about Bruce Hyman. It reads:

There have been several false press reports that Bruce Hyman, a barrister who has pleaded guilty to an attempt to pervert the course of justice, was a member of Doughty Street Chambers. Mr Hyman was in fact a pupil, attached to Doughty Street Chambers only for a few months of his training period, having successfully completed a 12-month pupillage at Blackstone Chambers. He resigned before he could be considered for membership of Chambers and nobody here had any inkling of his criminal behaviour.

Frankly they should have said so earlier, as the rest of … Read the full post

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Coming soon – Hyman, the Prison Diaries

By NL on 19/09/2007. 0 Comments

So Bruce Hyman got 12 months for perverting the course of justice, thanks VM for the details. The Beeb has a photo of Hyman looking furtive, as well he might.

That may be longer than other media people have received for looking at child porn, but I have to agree with VM that, considering Hyman was entirely prepared to see the opponent he framed go to prison, it doesn’t seem like quite enough. Perhaps a new charge of ‘stamping repeatedly on justice’s weeping face while laughing maniacally’ should be introduced for these occasions.

One presumes he will now be disbarred without further ado.… Read the full post

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Nemesis and cab ranks

By NL on 19/09/2007. 0 Comments

I am indebted to Victorian Maiden (QC) at Ruthie’s Law for the news that Bruce Hyman is to be sentenced tomorrow, 19 September. He may make history as the first barrister for 800 years to be sent to prison for perverting the course of justice.

Hyman’s erstwhile chambers, Doughty Street, are preserving a wall of silence and it is only google traces that now identify him with the, err, doughty defenders of human rights. I share VM’s view that Doughty Street need to at the very least acknowledge that this has happened. On this occasion at least, silence is not the dignified option.

But VM’s views on Chambers espousing a … Read the full post

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Oh the irony…

By NL on 17/09/2007. 0 Comments

First, a tip of the hat to John Bolch at Family Lore for spotting that the LSC has increased its provision of grants to for ‘legal aid’ traineeships by 100, on top of the current 492 (apparently, but only 71 firms involved?). While the grants might seem like a good thing, and in some ways certainly are, one has to ask why they were necessary in the first place (legal aid firms being skint and uncertain about the future, perhaps?). Plus, given that the traineeship has to be offered before the prospect takes the LPC, how many firms have enough faith in the future to promise a place 1-2 years … Read the full post

Posted in Various (non-housing). Tags: , .
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