Judicial rumblings

PennyweatherJ_CircuitThis week there have been an unusual number of cases adjourning at the judges own order with reasons given such as “too little court time”, “cases not settling” and “inaccurate time estimates”. Whatever it is, some judges can be particularly adept at making a little more time to spend with their families as school holidays kick off. Today I got a call from my solicitor in a case I am booked in to do tomorrow. He told me that the judge had rung him personally and made judicial comment on the fact that he couldn’t believe the case had not settled. “If this case comes before me tomorrow morning,” he had told my solicitor, “wasting valuable court time [for which read “time I could spend with my family”], then I will be seriously considering whether to make wasted costs orders against both sets of solicitors for failing in their duties [presumably to assist the judge in spending more time with his family]”.  As always, at the mention of a possible costs order against him personally, the solicitor got straight onto his client and tried to force him to settle.  “Unfortunately BabyB, he wants his day in court.  Determined to see it through, he says.”

It’ll be interesting to see what the judge has to say about that tomorrow.

July 26, 2016 ¡ Tim Kevan ¡ 3 Comments
Posted in: Uncategorized

3 Responses

  1. Tom Hartley - March 19, 2008

    I often wonder whether the court system is there for the benefit of judges or of litigants

  2. Uncivil Serpent - March 19, 2008

    The Law is an Ass: ridden by a learned and pompous judiciary; nearly throttled as it is dragged to and fro by the squabblings of bewigged advocates, milked to the point of dehydration by grasping solicitors; with its desperate baying wilfully misrepresented by scheming gutter journalists; and who’s filth has to be carefully swept up and disposed of by the tax payer; as belligerent, ranting politicians alternate between sharpening the blades at the knackers yard and increasing the weight of it’s saddle. All while the desperate beast trudges backwards, dutiful and blinkered on its dusty path of claimants, defendants, witnesses, victims and other court users.
    Never quite the thoroughbred.

  3. Scheherazade H. - March 19, 2008

    I believe you’ll find that this week is actually Holy Week. Next week is Easter Week.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Week