McCloud cuts to Krapp at the last

Famous last words are often quoted, but maybe last judgments ought to be a thing too. Master Victoria McCloud, who stepped down in April, used the introductory paragraphs of her final ruling, published this week, to acknowledge the moment, and hymn a literary hero.

She said: ‘Those who know this judge will be aware that she is a long-time Samuel Beckett enthusiast, and one of his finest works is Krapp’s Last Tape, a self-referential, recursive work in which the eponymous Mr Krapp, who savours the word “spool” greatly, reviews previous voice tapes in which he charted his life, hearing himself as he ages over the years and who retreats into recollection of his past.

‘This is my “Last Tape”, though I suspect neither it nor I will ever aspire to the standard of Krapp. I was assisted, not by spools, but by transcripts of digital recordings of the dates on which this court sat on these applications spread over some time, and so have had the benefit of re-reading the entirety of the hearings when writing this judgment.’