Between half a day and four days is a good length of time for a hearing by a top court, according to Lord Neuberger. Delivering the Bar Council Annual Law Reform Lecture this week, he said the majority of hearings last between four hours and two days, and “we normally do pretty well”. In contrast, a House of Lords appeal could last 20 days in the 1980s, while the US Supreme Court, and Luxembourg and Strasbourg courts hardly ever allow advocates more than half an hour.