CHRISTMAS WINE

Sean Jones QC and i are about to write the 'Counsel ' magazine Christmas wine list and this year have identified quality even at £3-99 a bottle . I will summarise here the knock out bargains next month.

JEWELS FOR CHRISTMAS OR ANY OTHER TIME

Fran Regan, creator of the Regan dynasty , is once again making bespoke rings , bracelets and necklaces .No child labour or underlings in China and she even has her own posh hallmark.Recent projects have included wedding rings in precious metals and silver bracelets that resonate of Hermes but not funny money prices. You can see samples at franreganjewellery.bigcartel.com ( how did that get past the Competition Commission?).  . Her e -mail is franregan@btinternet.com.The beautiful model on the page is daughter, Isabel.
 

PART 36

There is one statement in the superb 'White Book ' commentary which is wrong .At 36.1.3 it is asserted that a defective offer can still potentially have Part 36 consequences. Well no it cannot.See 'Civil Costs ' by Dr Friston and the Court of Appeal decision in CARILLION V PHI GROUP ( 2012) EWCA Civ.588. A new supplement has been published but it only refers to one case in the Part 36 update and it is not this very important clarification of the law.

INTERESING PSLS- the first in a series.

That Mrs Fiona James at DWF is very quiet but horribly clever.

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ROAD TRAFFIC LITIGATION

The announcement yesterday of a full scale Competition Commission investigation into car insurance is surely the death knell for credit hire and inflated repair bills. Incidentally , i have been given some fascinating material which suggests that a vast claims management entity which is suddenly trying to pretend that it is instead an injury marketing business is looking for kick backs from "approved " costs lawyers whom it is seeking to foist on panel members. The powers that be are already aware of this . It will end in tears.

"CAN WE HAVE FEWER WORDS AND MORE GLAMOUR ?"

 

THE GENERAL DAMAGES UPLIFT

Thanks to Alistair Kinley of BLM who went to the Court of Appeal on wednesday when it thought again about the Castle declaration.Revised guidance will appear next month.The MR stated that there were bound to be jagged edges whatever was done , suggesting that a rough and ready approach may yet prevail.Interestingly , those who protested may yet rue the day they did for the Court is now thinking about extending the uplift to claims in contract . Castle only addressed damages in tort.

HILLSBOROUGH

I have downloaded the full report and am reading it now. Two thoughts occur.
The junior police officers confronted by the horror told it as it was.It was the more senior officers who perverted the course of justice. It is easy but wrong to blame 'The Police '.
It was almost mediaeval that it took a Bishop rather than the Judiciary to reveal the truth.Trust me , there is more that has yet to come to light . Shame upon those , be they Home Secretaries or senior Police officers or Judges, who sought to sweep mass killing under a carpet.

PERSONAL INJURY GUIDELINES UPDATED

What was the JSB is now the Judicial College. Published this week is a new edition of the injury guidelines , produced by a new team including Stuart Mckechnie .Two developments are noteeworthy. In the introduction the doyenne of injury law, Dame Janet Smith , states that scarring ought normally to attract the same award , regardless of the gender of the claimant.Also , those who do whiplash work might want to absorb the new guidance on quantum which puts more weight upon the intensity of the problem rather than the duration of it. Two years of symptoms might amount in truth to one episode of discomfort a month.A shorter prognosis could now be worth more with the emphasis being upon the severity of the pain.

EXETER

A fine morning with clin neg supremo Chris Thorne who is off to Scotland to litigate over lost sperm next week.
Congratulations to Katherine Price of Lyons Davidson who is also off to Scotland, sadly leaving Bath, to head up their Edinburgh office.

TESCO WINE PART 2

It gets better.Buy any 6 bottles , get 25% off.

GREAT WINE AT TESCO.

All people want to hear about is wine and not law. I give in.
Tesco is the place to visit right now.It has launched a Simply Tesco range of wines , white and red , at modest prices.Thanks to Ferdy Lovett for tipping me off about the Pinot Noir , excellent.Incidentally , the best Pinot Noir i have ever tasted was the Cloudy Bay number when treated to dinner last week by Sajid Hussain of Outspire, a noble gesture by a man who doesn't imbibe .
Paul Carroll , Manchester litigation supremo up there with Anastasia and Sue Bright, wrote today to tip me off about the Tesco Brunello , a big red for £15. Their other massive red from Italy , the Barolo, is a stunner albeit £20 ( yet cheaper here than in the country of origin).
The real coup though is that Tesco has got its hands upon a range of Taittinger champagne. Christmas is not far away. The very best buy is the 2004 vintage for £29-99, less than the normal price of the lesser non -vintage.Amazing. They also have 2 exotic limited runs , Nocturne and Prelude, which they are selling for half the normal price.The killer is the vintage but if you are seriously into great fizz then the Prelude is fascinating.

SALE OF THE CENTURY

If you are in London soon then head over to Liberty which has an astonishing promotion on for the next few days. Spend £125 on aftershave , perfume or beauty products ( easily done ) and you get a bumper bag of freebies including a baby Diptique candle which retails alone for £24. The items are mainly for women .All big names like REN, Aesop , Cowshed et al.

LOVELY PEOPLE

The blog has been quiet for i am so busy. I must thank everyone in Bury St Edmonds yesterday for their care and kindness . Today was Scotland Yard with the wondrous Annette and then to Mishcon De Raya where ace PSL Neville revealed the arrival of baby Oscar. Happy days.

COSTS COUNSEL

Erica Bedford , successful solicitor and now traitor, has gone to the costs Bar at Kings Chambers in Manchester. A great talent and open for instructions . 

A GOOD READ

Two noteworthy books are just out . For lawyers the new Friston Civil Costs is indispensable .
For foodies Nick Lander ,the best restaurant critic in the country since Jonathan Meades left the country ( he is now living in Marseille ), has written a conspectus of the restaurant world . Stunning . 

CIVIL COSTS-DR FRISTON

The new edition , published by Jordans, has now been printed and publication is imminent.It is staggeringly thorough and no litigator should be without it.

Mr Assange

Imagine my surprise when i bumped into these former associates of mr Assange at Knightsbridge tube station asking for directions to the Ecuadorian embassy. What can it possibly mean ?