I sincerely hope

[sir.prize]

THEY ARE JOKING!

http://www.dailymail....tml?ito=feeds-newsxml

[Duncer]

Tis very true.

[jno]

Tories believe he is too concerned about human rights to be a human rights court judge? Presumably they think a better choice would be someone who doesn't believe in human rights. But that's Tories for you.

[FredPuli43]

Why not? The public seem to think that counsel have to think the same as thel lay client,or think he's innocent. It's that 'How can you defend a man you know is guilty?' question which barristers are asked , seemingly every time a layman finds out what they do for a living.In fact, counsel argue to the best of their ability, to win the case for whichever side their hired by. The result is all they're after; the job satisfaction is in getting it.

This one happens to be good on human rights law. Just the man for the job.

[sir.prize]

. . . and just the guy to rid us of Abu Qatada. Don't you agree, Fred?

[Jemisa]

I'm dumbstruck - I can't speak > > > >

[youngmafbog]

Very wrong, if it is true.

People in this position should be apolitical.

I see he also helped draft the law that he then went on to use to grab bucket loads of taxpayers cash. Surely that is marally wrong if not downright fraudulent, somewhat akin to insider dealing.

[Dodger666]

He didn't get the job after all:-

http://www.dailymail....at-British-court.html

The guy who did isn't even a judge!!

[FredPuli43]

Not even a judge? We don't have a system of career judges, unlike, say, France, where they start as very junior investigating magistrates and work their way up. All our judges have been counsel or solicitors. The old Judicial Committee of the House of Lords (now The Supreme Court) occasionally had a member who had previously been an academic, so, in itself,even that is not an objection.

Yes, the man who represented the hate preacher might have been just the man to get him ejected from the country!. 'Poacher turned gamekeeper' comes to mind. A lot of counsel both prosecute and defend ; the prosecuting only practice is a rarity. I've a feeling, though, that professional etiquette would stop him acting against his own, erstwhile, lay client in what is effectively the same cause!