No matter how many times I try to explain, no matter how many blog posts I write, no matter how many videos I make, people make the same mistake over and over: thinking that, somehow, life is supposed to be fair and unfairness in the workplace gives rise to a legal claim or cause of… Continue reading The same mistake over and over
Category: Law
Casuistry-descending into the particulars
I came across the notion of ‘casuistry’ this week for the first time. It was in an excellent podcast by Malcolm Gladwell who started off the discussion by firstly looking at a case of a famous baseball player in the United States who was fond to have used prohibited substances to continue his career. Without… Continue reading Casuistry-descending into the particulars
Chipping Away at the Rule of Law-When the Stream Becomes a River
The threat of lawlessness that is featuring in the news now with renewed threats on executives working in the former Sean Quinn group of companies along the border is, finally, being taken seriously. About time, too. The Taoiseach, the Government, an Garda Siochana, the PSNI appear to be stepping up their efforts to bring to… Continue reading Chipping Away at the Rule of Law-When the Stream Becomes a River
Lawyers Persuading with Effective Word Pictures (and What You Can Learn)
If I was accused of murder I would hate to see Michael Bowman SC prosecuting me. Although if I had Bernard Condon SC defending my chances of acquittal would be greatly enhanced. My attention has been arrested by the word pictures these two men have been painting for the jury this week in the Patrick… Continue reading Lawyers Persuading with Effective Word Pictures (and What You Can Learn)
Why “Moral turpitude” Is Good
I came across a report in the newspaper this morning, a court report of a psychiatrist who had been struck off the medical register by the President of the High Court, Mr. Justice Peter Kelly. The learned Judge found that the consultant psychiatrist was guilty of professional misconduct and “moral turpitude” for being involved in… Continue reading Why “Moral turpitude” Is Good
Fake Law and Pseudo Lawyers-Giving False Hope and Increasing Costs
One of the most frustrating types of person I have met since the great Irish property crash in 2007 is the person struggling with debts who will clutch at any straw to believe there is a simple solution. And there has been a significant number of individuals who are happy to peddle a concoction of… Continue reading Fake Law and Pseudo Lawyers-Giving False Hope and Increasing Costs
The Level of Folly Attained
The Law Society sends out, by email, a newsletter containing summaries of “Recent Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and High Court reserved written judgments”. I always try to scan through the decisions which cover a wide range of topics ranging from disputes about wills to personal injury claims to prisoners claiming infringement of human rights… Continue reading The Level of Folly Attained
I’m Not for Everyone
If you are the man who rang four times in an hour to speak to me for “10 minutes” about whether you have a case or not, having been told you need to arrange a consultation, I’m not for you. If you are the woman who “is nervous about paying for legal advice unless I… Continue reading I’m Not for Everyone
Reading the Signals at an Employment Law Hearing
If you are representing yourself at an employment law hearing-for example at the WRC or Labour Court-you need to be aware of the value of reading some signals. For example, if the WRC adjudicator or Chairman of the Labour Court division give you the impression that things are not going great for you, and if… Continue reading Reading the Signals at an Employment Law Hearing
Legal Costs and Access to the “Majesty of the Law”
Every week I receive an updated record of Court judgments from the Courts Service. Many of the decisions are uneventful and unremarkable. But two decisions caught my attention this week and both were concerned with legal costs. The first case involved Dana Rosemary Scallon and the defamation against her and TV3 by a mother and… Continue reading Legal Costs and Access to the “Majesty of the Law”