Legal Profession

News, analysis, comment and updates from ICLR's case law and UK legislation platform

Silk – where strife imitates art

How does a prime time TV series about the law satisfy both the public curiosity about the legal profession and its practices, and the respect of practitioners themselves who would like to see a mirror held up to their nature? And just how true-to-life can the characters get when one of them steps out of Continue reading

Book review: Slapper and Kelly, The English Legal system

The English Legal system, 14th ed (2013-2014), by Gary Slapper and David Kelly (Routledge, £32.99). As the authors point out in their introduction, the English legal system has evolved over a period of more than a thousand years, and continues to evolve daily. It needs a textbook of sufficient heft and vigour to keep up Continue reading

Libel reform: freedom, censorship and debate

The stories that matter are the ones that go unheard. The threat of censorship is nothing new, but if we think that by living in a free country, with the right of free speech guaranteed by the article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, we don’t need to worry about censorship, then we Continue reading

Suits…

Over the festive season I was handed a business card for Harvey Specter, Senior Partner at Pearson Hardman, whilst out shopping. The suited and booted chaps wielding an array of promotional materials were from the TV channel Dave, who will soon be showcasing a new legal drama called Suits. The (usually) comical channel, Dave, wouldn’t Continue reading

Christmas book recommendations (2)

The limitation period on festive gift buying is about to expire. File a claim for peace and goodwill before it’s too late! But if you can’t face the crush in the last minute bargain basement of your local department store, fear not. Help is at hand in the bookshop. And for those with e-readers and Continue reading

Christmas book recommendations (1)

Buying yuletide gifts for lawyers is never an easy task. You could try choosing barristers’ briefs at Ann Summers or, for the less adventurous, M&S, or you could link up with your loved one in a stylish pair of pink handcuffs, as advertised on Patrolstore. But for a safer bet, why not book them on Continue reading

Book review: Law and Religion

Over the past decade the subject of law and religion has emerged as a discipline in its own right in law faculties. Russell Sandberg in his book Law and Religion has successfully taken it upon himself to define the boundaries of what he perceives to be the core material any student of law and religion Continue reading