I love oxymorons. Woodbine used to advertise their cigarettes as the “great, little cigarette” which conjured up precisely the size of the cigarette (they were smaller than the standard size) and the great taste and value (whatever takes your fancy!) For Latin lovers, hasten slowly is the English translation of Festina Lente. An example might… Read More »
“When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said, in a rather scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean – neither more nor less.” (Alice through the Looking Glass, by Lewis Carroll). In what must be regarded as a disappointing decision in the Court of Appeal last week in Henry v… Read More »
There was a time when it was genuinely possible to describe software used in e-disclosure in terms which effectively distinguished between particular offerings on the basis of the “bells and whistles” which one bit of technology possessed in contrast to the next piece of software. Nowadays, I believe it is widely accepted that many of… Read More »
If you are one of those people who enjoys the flurry of articles at this time of year containing predictions for 2013 and beyond, you will not want to miss the SCL’s Predictions 2013, and beyond: Part 2, Masters of Legal IT. To quote from the opening paragraph – “When you get Charles Christian, Jan… Read More »
It is that time of year again when predictions are flying about and, as anyone who has been asked to make predictions will tell you, predictions do not get any easier. In fact, it has been said, “predictions are difficult, especially about the future.” You may imagine my delight when I heard that quotation at… Read More »
If you are of a certain age, the song by Perry Como may come to mind, combining a catchy tune with the names of some 15 US States to create a jolly, jokey offering which today seems somewhat innocent and naïve. Anyway, a new name has now been added to the pantheon of judges extolling… Read More »
A number of commentators have reported on recent developments in the insourcing/outsourcing arena. The latest report concerns Chicago based Drinker Biddle & Reath which has set up its own subsidiary which seeks to recover income lost to outside discovery/review attorneys and third party vendors. It so happens that I had had a whiff of this… Read More »
At this time of year when many people are on holiday and the news appears to be sluggish, articles start appearing which seek to take a longer view or which report results of research which has previously taken place. A recent example is the review in The Lawyer of July 30th into what they call The… Read More »
Dominic Lawson’s Sunday Times article dated 5th August 2012, entitled “To sell your soul, Faust, press Return”, suggested that our relationship with the computer has “become the modern equivalent of the Faustian pact” on the basis that computers and the internet have provided humans with such a wealth of information that there is an inevitable… Read More »
Litigation lawyers and others with regular dealings before the High Court in England and Wales will be familiar with the role of the Master. Essentially, Masters deal with the administrative aspects of a case in order to facilitate its arrival at trial in good order. Our own Senior Master Whitaker is the senior of the… Read More »