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28 February 2019 / Dominic Regan
Issue: 7830 / Categories: Features , Procedure & practice
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Disorder in the court

Many a day in court is akin to a circus, & it’s up to the judge to be the ringmaster, says Dominic Regan

Things do not always go smoothly in court. Feelings run high. No one wants to be a loser.

In his fine book, Breaking Law, NLJ columnist Stephen Gold recounts an action brought because the defendant had stared at the claimant in public. Another litigant flaunted her décolletage in an attempt to persuade the judge that her case was to be preferred.

On an indulgent Sunday afternoon, I settled down to watch a film called Two Weeks Notice , which I assumed was about dismissal law. Imagine my surprise when the male lead was not Professor Ian Smith, who knows more about the subject than anyone else. Presumably he was unavailable, and they had to compromise with Hugh Grant. Why I mention all of this is because early in this 2002 film, a wife flings water at the lawyer representing her husband in a financial settlement meeting. It will

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

DAC Beachcroft—Clare Dewar

DAC Beachcroft—Clare Dewar

DAC Beachcroft strengthens Scottish real estate capabilitywith partner appointment

Womble Bond Dickinson—Brendan Ryan

Womble Bond Dickinson—Brendan Ryan

Womble Bond Dickinson appoints Brendan Ryan as partner in Public Law Projects team

Parklane Plowden Chambers—five appointments

Parklane Plowden Chambers—five appointments

Parklane Plowden Chambers welcomes five new barristers

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Choosing the wrong expert can cost a clinical negligence claimant more than their case
Judges risk weakening their own independence by staying silent over government reforms, a leading public lawyer argues
A discount on damages does not automatically mean an equivalent haircut for legal costs in military deafness claims
Police powers targeting concealed identities at protests come with procedural conditions that could determine whether prosecutions succeed
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