After an absence of two years, I can confirm that Master and Commander remains a first rate of a film. Luckily I watched before the three year mark, if you don’t watch it at least that often Villeneuve wins.

Allow me to add a little context. The maximum capacity that the Crown Courts can sit is 130,000 days a year. The government is - for reasons of money - forcing courts to close on 19,000 days per year. At a time when the backlog is so bad, the govt wants to remove jury trial.

Imagine how bad an idea extending Magistrates’ sentencing powers is that Sir Brian “no juries for you” Leveson thinks it’s a bad idea.

How far we have fallen, the Royal Navy used to be THe deterrence and defence in the North Atlantic.

In which someone who knows what they are talking about eviscerates someone who doesn’t but who presumes to trample on our ancient liberties.

What an artist will die with him…at least he doesn’t have a horse!

If any LC had the reason to reform Jury trials in England and Wales it was Robert Buckland. He was the LC, Justice Sec throughout the covid pandemic. Had he brought emergency legislation forward at that time it would have been expected that Her Majesties Opposition supported it.

In 1889, William Gladstone was a dinner guest of Bertrand Russell. Gladstone announced, 'This is a very good port they have given me, but why have they given it me in a claret glass?'. Russell later wrote, 'I did not know the answer, and wished the earth would swallow me up'.

Merry Christmas one and all. May you have a peaceful few days and a happy and prosperous 2026! (Not you Lammy)

Is it just me or does Trump’s “we control Venezuela” have strong Napoleon III and Mexico vibes?

Sarah, we have been in cases together. I know and like you and respect you as a barrister. So I am all the more shocked that you can use yr position to make such a nonsensical argument. This is like saying that you are saving the NHS by restricting it to heart and brain surgery.

Bonjour, David Lammy. Bit chilly today. Hope all well. 73 courtrooms empty today. 3 more than yesterday, and 73 more than my heart can handle. Sing along at home if you know the words. Could we open them? Instead of restricting jury trial for thousands of people? Please?

Dear The Labour Party, Sarah Sackman KC MP David Lammy now we know your plan to decimate trial by jury is ideological are we to assume that keeping these courts closed is a deliberate decision to create the conditions to pursue that ideology? You’ve allow 73 trials not to happen

We must do as Collingwood did, carry seeds in our pockets and keep planting so the wooden walls are provided for! ‘Trees are a national security issue. We’re not planting enough’ thetimes.com/article/e18b39…

In Japanese, "tsundoku" means collecting books and letting them pile up, not for neglect, but for the joy of knowing they're there, full of untold stories.

Fascinating read! Thanks to Sir H for bringing this incident to public knowledge.

Military Lawyers The Association of Military Court Advocates (AMCA) is refreshing its membership structure. Continued subscription to AMCA resources including access to ASPALS legal library, and events will require payment of the annual membership fee. It will also allow

Just had the most extraordinary telephone conversation with an HSBC employee who urged me to sue his employer rather than try to assist me. He then put the phone down.