As a lawyer, I am all too aware of the tendency of my profession to wrap up ideas and concepts in language which, to the average outsider, sounds like impenetrable gibberish. The ability of so-called insiders to construct a special language marks out a territory to which outsiders are not admitted or are only admitted… Read More: Sheep from goats »
Visiting museums and art galleries is an essential part of the experience of visiting new places. That is not to say that I do not from time to time visit museums in this country with which I am already familiar but the collections which tend to stand out in my mind are those which are… Read More: A dance to the music of time »
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth is a concept with which most people are familiar, even if they do not know its origin. The concept appears in the Old Testament, the Koran and the Talmud and probably elsewhere as well. It is even referred to by Jesus in the Sermon… Read More: We are all believers now »
History is a wonderful thing and I am constantly amazed at how much of it appears to be a matter of chance. There are numerous examples. For instance, I have come across the attached piece published by the Education Forum. I reproduce it in full, typos and all! A significant event marking the international relations… Read More: Leaving it to chance »
What have the following in common? Britain’s forthcoming defence review. Jackie Fisher, First Sea Lord at the end of the 19th Century. John Terry, Chelsea and England footballer. Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus. The Royal Navy. Answers on a postcard please!
The 3rd Annual Electronically Stored Information (ESI) Trends Report by Kroll Ontrack reveals that there is a significant gap between the existence of corporate document retention policies and ESI discovery readiness strategies. According to the Kroll Ontrack news release, ESI management is top of mind for corporations but effective implementation is falling. This year’s survey also… Read More: UK firms falling short on EDI discovery readiness »
I missed the publication of the Report of the Scottish Civil Courts Review when it was launched on 30th September 2009 by the Lord Justice Clerk, the Rt Hon Lord Gill. The report is in two volumes and contains 15 chapters and a synopsis. The terms of reference are: To review the provision of civil… Read More: Scottish Civil Courts Review »
When I used to travel on business particularly in the countries of Latin America I used to enjoy the very real differences in the way lawyers worked and the institutions in which they operated. There are, of course, obvious differences between the way of life I was used to in the UK and in Continental… Read More: Ministry of Truth »
Over the weekend I heard part of a programme on the radio in which two employees of Microsoft Research in California were discussing what they described as “digitising your life”. Apparently, this involves wearing some form of camera round your neck on a permanent basis which takes a photograph every 20 seconds and builds into… Read More: Scary! »
Asked in the 1970s what he thought about the effects of the French Revolution, Chinese Premier at the time Zhou Enlai famously replied, “It is too early to say”. Currently there are a large number of reports from a variety of sources that the end of the recession is here and that the good times… Read More: Too early to say »