Comments on: brevity http://blog.geeklawyer.org/2007/03/29/brevity/ A barrister gossips & rants on intellectual property law, the legal system and civil liberties. Sun, 07 Sep 2008 03:53:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Liadnan http://blog.geeklawyer.org/2007/03/29/brevity/#comment-2090 Liadnan Thu, 29 Mar 2007 13:22:56 +0000 http://blog.geeklawyer.org/2007/03/29/brevity/#comment-2090 PS re the BCCI case, Tomlinson J got his own back on Pollock in the end. See the marvellous spanking of Pollock and Lovells at http://www.bailii.org/cgi-bin/markup.cgi?doc=/ew/cases/EWHC/Comm/2006/816.html particularly para 135. Not that the judgment (on indemnity costs) itself fulfils any requirement of brevity. PS re the BCCI case, Tomlinson J got his own back on Pollock in the end. See the marvellous spanking of Pollock and Lovells at http://www.bailii.org/cgi-bin/markup.cgi?doc=/ew/cases/EWHC/Comm/2006/816.html particularly para 135. Not that the judgment (on indemnity costs) itself fulfils any requirement of brevity.

]]> By: Liadnan http://blog.geeklawyer.org/2007/03/29/brevity/#comment-2089 Liadnan Thu, 29 Mar 2007 13:10:22 +0000 http://blog.geeklawyer.org/2007/03/29/brevity/#comment-2089 I think it was Thyssen that took six months to be opened for the plaintiff: Crystall then allegedly asked for leave to amend. That was offshore though. In BCCI Pollock took 79 days to open, Stadlen, for the Bank, then took 119 days replying. God alone knows what they were chuntering about all that time. I think the longest it's ever taken me to open is an hour, and that was highly unusual. I'm a great fan of short judgments. Looking at (1866) 2 Eq. (because I happen to be using that volume at the moment so it's convenient) Romilly and the Vice-Chancellors frequently managed to deal with cases in less than a page of judgment, which makes it a damn sight easier to work out what the point actually was. (Bah. My trousers are now covered in rotting leather dust) I think it was Thyssen that took six months to be opened for the plaintiff: Crystall then allegedly asked for leave to amend. That was offshore though.

In BCCI Pollock took 79 days to open, Stadlen, for the Bank, then took 119 days replying. God alone knows what they were chuntering about all that time. I think the longest it’s ever taken me to open is an hour, and that was highly unusual.

I’m a great fan of short judgments. Looking at (1866) 2 Eq. (because I happen to be using that volume at the moment so it’s convenient) Romilly and the Vice-Chancellors frequently managed to deal with cases in less than a page of judgment, which makes it a damn sight easier to work out what the point actually was. (Bah. My trousers are now covered in rotting leather dust)

]]> By: Geeklawyer http://blog.geeklawyer.org/2007/03/29/brevity/#comment-2083 Geeklawyer Thu, 29 Mar 2007 11:54:29 +0000 http://blog.geeklawyer.org/2007/03/29/brevity/#comment-2083 I seem to recall Jonathan Goldberg QC saying (recalling someone saying?) that there isn't a case that can't be opened in 5 minutes. I've opened cases in 5 minutes. I seem to recall Jonathan Goldberg QC saying (recalling someone saying?) that there isn’t a case that can’t be opened in 5 minutes.

I’ve opened cases in 5 minutes.

]]> By: Ruthie http://blog.geeklawyer.org/2007/03/29/brevity/#comment-2079 Ruthie Thu, 29 Mar 2007 08:28:34 +0000 http://blog.geeklawyer.org/2007/03/29/brevity/#comment-2079 Liadnan did mention yesterday that the BCCI case took 6 months to open. Sure its a complicated case, but isn't the whole point to make it simple for the jury to understand? Genesis manages to describe the creation of the entire universe in a couple of paragraphs.. The Almighty clearly wasn't on graduated fees.. Liadnan did mention yesterday that the BCCI case took 6 months to open. Sure its a complicated case, but isn’t the whole point to make it simple for the jury to understand?

Genesis manages to describe the creation of the entire universe in a couple of paragraphs.. The Almighty clearly wasn’t on graduated fees..

]]> By: Ruthie http://blog.geeklawyer.org/2007/03/29/brevity/#comment-2078 Ruthie Thu, 29 Mar 2007 08:24:45 +0000 http://blog.geeklawyer.org/2007/03/29/brevity/#comment-2078 Still they do say that brevity is the soul wit.. Ruthie wishes that more barristers would remember this, on occasion one would think they are being paid per word... Still they do say that brevity is the soul wit..

Ruthie wishes that more barristers would remember this, on occasion one would think they are being paid per word…

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