Category Archives: legal profession

Barrister tries alternative dispute resolution. Uses bullets: my dear fellow, you’re doing it all wrong

May 7, 2008 – 9:01 pm

Mark Saunders, a family law/divorce barrister it seems, was killed in a shoot out with armed police in London. It all happened near Geeklawyer’s old flat in the Kings Road as it happens, nice area but if there is much more gun-play people will presumably migrate to somewhere less dangerous; Peckham, say.
It seems that […]

By Geeklawyer | Also posted in Uncategorized, cops, idiotic, the Bar | Tagged , , , , | Comments (4)

Looniest Judge *ever* Award: nice try - no pie, Peter.

April 19, 2008 – 9:41 am

Having also been on the wrong end of a major bollocking recently Geeklawyer has not a little sympathy for Mr Justice Peter Smith. Pete was referred to the Office for Naughty Judges (OJC) last year after showing “undoubted animosity” towards one of the parties in a case before him.
At least that’s the polite version. Geeklawyer […]

By Geeklawyer | Also posted in human failings, trials | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (5)

Geeklawyer retraining

April 1, 2008 – 8:04 am

Geeklawyer has decided to retrain as a solicitor advocate. It is a bit depressing to make that admission given the amount of pisstaking he has done of Ruthie, and she will, no doubt, grind your author’s nose in it.
It was a hard decision prompted by yesterdays news of a 20% drop in pupillages. To Geeklawyer […]

By Geeklawyer | Also posted in geeklawyer, the Bar | Tagged , , | Comments (40)

It’s what fucking time?!

January 26, 2008 – 2:27 am

Geeklawyer is a bit  of a slacker it’s true. But he suddenly looked up at the clock to realise it was 2.30am and there he was writing both a skeleton and a snotty note to the judge. Blimey.
In his mitigation he had spent the evening chatting up young totty at the local university. Though he […]

By Geeklawyer | Also posted in litigation | Tagged , , | Comments (19)

Barristers strike

January 21, 2008 – 10:47 am

Geeklawyer fully supports his criminal colleagues in refusing to sign their new legal aid contracts. Respect to Simon Myerson and all the others.
Question: does this mean that unrepresented defendants could potentially have their cases dismissed for lack a lawyer? Bad very bad. But presumably all these cases will be adjourned until the mess is sorted […]

By Geeklawyer | Also posted in crime, the Bar | Tagged , , , | Comments (2)

Dan Hull at WAC? gets to the real point of Xmas:

December 28, 2007 – 10:28 pm

Forget at all that schmaltzy family bollocks, or the religious shit about a loony Jew with a God complex who got nailed to some planks of wood. No, Dan tells it like it is:
“What really matters is paying your lawyers by the end of the year. We work hard - show us the money“
A message […]

By Geeklawyer | Also posted in xmas | Tagged , | Comments (1)

Geeklawyer naked in front of a judge - again.

December 21, 2007 – 12:45 am

Geeklawyer was rung up at home by a High Court judge a while ago. It was a profoundly unnerving experience. He had just got out of the bath and was naked, not being accustomed to bathing with any clothes on. The phone rang:
“Mr [Geeklawyer], this is Justice [scary] I wanted to ask about your Public […]

By Geeklawyer | Also posted in litigation, the Bar | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (6)

American lawyers are revolting

December 8, 2007 – 8:43 pm

Geeklawyer did think the sight of Pakistani lawyers trading blows with paramilitary police was a little weird. All credit to them. They live in an exceedingly fragile democracy where a vacuous despot ignores the rule of law, the constitution and appoints judges who do his bidding (you decide whether I mean Bush or Musharraf). So […]

By Geeklawyer | Also posted in the Bar | Comments (11)

The Bar still wants to wear bits of dead horse

December 5, 2007 – 8:24 am

As Geeklawyer has commented on before there is a certain amount of hostility among many members of the Bar to the proposal to remove the need for wigs in court. A recent survey by the Bar Council has found that, surprise surprise, barristers aren’t too happy. More surprising was that punters preferred wigs too. […]

By Geeklawyer | Comments (9)

Oh for fuck’s sake Court of Appeal - get a life

November 15, 2007 – 4:29 pm

Family Lore reports that Mr Justice Singer was just ordered to step down form a case for making a few poor jokes. In the matter of El Farargy v El Farargy and Others he made a couple of faintly amusing quips about using a “flying carpet” to avoid/evade costs and poor quality gelatinous evidence that […]

By Geeklawyer | Also posted in humour, litigation | Comments (4)