A stroll down Gazette memory lane

31 October 2002

Lawyers set to agree pre-issue fixed rates

The ‘big tent’ working party investigating the case for fixed fees is moving towards consensus on a scheme for cases which settle pre-issue – but tensions appear to be still rising between the sides. The scheme would apply to road traffic cases that settle for £10,000 or less.

28 October 1992

Postbox: Relative rates

Last Tuesday I spent three hours at our local magistrates’ court. While I was out of the office Dyno Rod cleaned our drains. They took a little under two hours. Their bill was more than I will get paid by the Legal Aid Board. Next time, I will do the drains – they can go to court!

27 October 1982

The professional class

Hailsham

Address of the Lord Chancellor, the Rt Hon Lord Hailsham CH

The truth is that the standards of society largely depend on the continued prosperity of the professional class, of which our own profession is only one, though perhaps an extremely important one. We are not management. We are not part of the workforce. We are not affiliated to campaigning bodies like the CBI or TUC. We are members of all shades of political opinion or none.

1 November 1972

Stipendiary magistrates

The suggestion that the burden of the work of justices of the peace should be lightened by the appointment in some areas of a stipendiary magistrate was made by Lord Hailsham in October. The lord chancellor made it clear that he had no ideas about replacing lay justices by stipendiaries – far from it. His suggestion arose from what he considered were weaknesses in the present system.

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