Oxford Isn’t All It’s Cracked Up To Be
I had to smile at this article.
At least she decided to follow in C’s footsteps and go to UCL to read law.
I’ve always believed that you shouldn’t go to a university, that is in a place, that is very similar to where you were brought up, as it doesn’t widen your mind.
Weird and Wonderful
The Sunday Times has a column of this name, which collects odd news from around the the world. This is the text of one this week with a title of Call the Pants Police.
Brides should be forced by law to wear knickers at the altar, says a Brazilian councillor. Ozias Zizi claims a growing number of women are being married without underwear because a superstition says this will guarantee a longer marriage.
The councillor from Vila Velha wants to introduce a local law that would not only force brides to wear knickers, but would bring in a minimum neckline for dresses.
“The moment they enter a place of worship they must show some respect,” he said. But Enoch de Castro, a local priest, said: “It would be absurd to try to police something like this, to find out whether a bride is wearing knickers or not.”
I think the priest has it right. Although, I don’t think that the police would lack volunteers for the job.
This Should Never Happen Again
The case of Dr. Eva Michalak should never happen again. Reading the story in The Times and on the BBC, it seems that the doctor did nothing wrong in her work, except decide to have a baby. That seemed to arouse the ire and vindictiveness of her colleagues and quite rightly, she has got a settlement to compensate for the career they destroyed.
My main problem with this case, is that it would appear that none of her colleagues, have been disciplined in any way. That may not be the case, but as in so many cases like this secrecy may have been used to protect the guilty.
Every person, who runs a large company or organisation, has a duty to all their employees to make sure things like this don’t happen. It could also be argued that they must manage the organisation, so that no employee is pushed into a position, that will cost their company a lot of money. Is the Chief Executive still employed by the Trust? I hope not!
A Slow Motion Legal Car Crash
The goings-on at Dale Farm, were just described in that way on the BBC. In fact, everybody seems to have got involved from Tony Blair to the UN and perhaps half the lawyers in Essex.
I’m not going to argue for either side in this dispute, except to say that the only beneficiaries of this long-running farce have been the lawyers. Everybody else has lost. I suspect in the end, we’ll all pay something out of central taxes.
It will run and run. For instance what would happen, if they found bats in some of the dwellings on the site?
The Tevez Defence
Carlos Tevez got himself off a serious charge by claiming he couldn’t read English according to many reports, including this one in the Mirror.
I would assume that he didn’t have any colleagues or friends, who couldn’t read English either. I once had a spam e-mail in Russian, so I asked one of the builders, who was Lithuanian, what it meant. He said it was spam, so I ignored it.
How long before the defence is used in a serious case like murder or rape? The accused in a rape case could perhaps claim that he didn’t understand what No meant.
Perhaps the best thing we could do is give Tevez six months to learn basic English.
One Problem With Televising Courts
This is a true story and some would think it would be good television. I don’t! But it illustrates the fact that a lot of cases contain things that really shouldn’t be broadcast. After all, our court system is open and anybody can go and look if they are interested.
My late wife was a barrister and once she was prosecuting a man for a sexual assault. She could hear a rustling behind her in the public gallery and quick look confirmed that a teacher was bringing in a class of school children to see how the court worked. She carried on, but her next question to a witness was not very appropriate. “When did you first notice that the defendant had an erection?” She then heard shrieks of laughter from behind her and then a lot of whispering as the children were quickly escorted out.
I bet those kids never forgot their first day in court!
She would repeat this story every time, televising courts was mentioned, to show how you can never be sure what will happen and how do you ensure that justice is fair and correct to all parties.
Who Would Want To Watch Court TV?
Having seen the odd case in a Court of Law, I can’t understand why anybody would want to watch it on television. It must only be for the same freak show reasons, that people watch crap like Big Brother, Britain’s Got Talent, basketball and American football. I’m thinking of setting up a channel where you can watch kettles boil or paint dry. It would be a lot more exciting!
I suppose if it was funded by advertising, Court TV might get them out of programs worth seeing.
But I won’t be watching!
Solicitors from Hell
We’ve all used bad solicitors in the past, but few of us have done anything about it. But Rick Kordowski did according to this article in The Independent.
According to The Times yesterday, the solicitors don’t like what he’s doing and are turning their legal guns on him.
I’m reminded of the old American legal joke.
Q. What do you call a thousand American lawyers at the bottom of the sea?
A. A good start
Kim Kardashian Sues Over Look Alike
I gather that Kim Kardashian is quite famous. Perhaps it is famous for being stupid as she is suing a company because they used someone who looks like her, according to this report. She ought to thank the company for the publicity, especially as I don’t find the lady the least bit attractive. So perhaps she should sue The Times for showing a picture of her, that I don’t like.
You can rest assured that her lawyers will trouser a few dollars, so they will at least been paid well for their time.
The Caroline Law
I like this story in the Guardian. Here’s an extract.
A London judge has made legal history by becoming the first to deliver a verdict on her own after discharging a jury.
Recorder Caroline English performed the unprecedented role at Wood Green crown court because a friend of the accused was alleged to have been in regular contact with a woman juror and have passed information on voting intentions.
Under the 2003 Criminal Justice Act, judges may continue a trial on their own if satisfied the jury has been subject to interference and that the defendants can still have a fair trial. The provision had never previously been used.
I also have a friend, who is a judge with the same first name. She has a reputation for a similar robustness and sensible interpretation of the law.
So the next time, you’re in the dock, make sure the judge isn’t a Caroline or perhaps a Charles!
The Anonymous Widower 