Thursday 3 May 2007

Letter of apology

I was going to change tack and write an angst-ridden post about a recent schmoozing experience, some chambers politics and the fate of last year’s now third six pupil, but instead I report that The Master received a letter of apology from the very judge I mentioned in my very last post. The Master appealed him to the Court of Appeal on what The Master considered an obvious legislative interpretation point that the judge concerned had pulled out of his own hat very late on in a trial.

Well, The Master just received a personal note from the judge, addressed to The Master by his first name (‘The’, in case you were wondering) admitting that he, the judge, was wrong (er, as had been pointed out already by the Court of Appeal) and saying, basically, ‘no hard feelings’.

I’ve never seen or heard of anything like it, but I haven’t been around long.

Angst-y post or posts to follow eventually.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Suggests a rather weak judicial constitution.

There SHOULD be no hard feelings. It's not personal. And first names are fine. It's the need to write the letter. If you ever appear in from of that Judge, take as many authorities as you can find...

In exchange for the advice, may I have a link?

Pupilblogger said...

Simon, tis done. Thanks for flagging up your site, which includes some excellent advice. I've included a link.

I think you are right about the judge. He's relatively new, too, and is said to suffer from 'judgitus'. This is apparently a condition that affects previously very pleasant senior advocates after they become judges. Symptoms include irritability, incorrect decisions and obession with practice directions.