Establishment stalwart Obiter is, of course, deeply reluctant to take the michael out of esteemed government departments. But sometimes it simply cannot be resisted. Last week’s Ministry of Justice announcement of 120 new QC appointments raised an eyebrow at Obiter Towers, and not because there were only a measly two solicitors among them. The document on the MoJ’s website containing the list of appointees was headed ‘Queens’ Council’ (Eh? Privy?). Even more surprisingly, when Obiter called the MoJ press office for more detail on the press release it had just issued about the new silks, the reply was, ‘Silks – you mean the TV series?’, referring to the new BBC drama of the same name (starring Maxine Peake, pictured). The show may only have been on air for two weeks, but it seems to have already superseded 500 years of history in the Whitehall psyche.