One for BV72 - court dress?

One for BV72 - court dress?

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matchmaker

Original Poster:

8,463 posts

199 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
Well, back in the days when I worked in court, this character wouldn't have lasted very long...

BBC said:
A judge has criticised a lawyer for appearing in court looking like "something out of Harry Potter".

Long-haired Alan Blacker appeared with St John Ambulance medals and ribbons on his breast during a trial in Cardiff Crown Court.

Judge David Wynn Morgan also questioned Mr Blacker's right as a solicitor advocate to wear the robes and wig of a barrister.

Mr Blacker said he was "very upset" the judge had questioned his credentials.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-28979459

Lurking Lawyer

4,534 posts

224 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
He's what you might charitably term a "character". I used to work in Manchester and he was known to a couple of my colleagues.

Have a look at his LinkedIn profile to form your own view.....

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanblacker

EDIT: The reference by the judge to the Welsh barrister who won the VC was to Sir Tasker Watkins VC, who went on to become a Court of Appeal judge. His obit is well worth a read.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1562637...

Edited by Lurking Lawyer on Friday 29th August 13:59

TheEnd

15,370 posts

187 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
That's exactly the kind of person I would want to double check the paperwork on.

Lurking Lawyer

4,534 posts

224 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
PS I note that Breaders has marked his disdain for this individual in the separate thread about the trial which gave rise to the judge's comments

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...


matchmaker

Original Poster:

8,463 posts

199 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
Lurking Lawyer said:
PS I note that Breaders has marked his disdain for this individual in the separate thread about the trial which gave rise to the judge's comments

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Indeed.

BV72 said:
What a knobend.
Succinctly put...

anonymous-user

53 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
Frankly, I think that we all look like tits in court clobber, but this guy added to this by being a mahoosive tit, an order of magnitude more tittish than the average lawyer, and that's saying something.

anonymous-user

53 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
Judge Morgan said:
“Here in South Wales, we had a barrister, who later became a judge, who, during the Battle of Normandy, was awarded the highest order of gallantry, the Victoria Cross.

“Did you ever see him wearing that medal? No. He would have considered it the height of vulgarity.”
Brilliant.

e600

1,315 posts

151 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
Having just scanned his Linked In page, he must be at least 238 years old to have picked up the qualifications and memberships he is credited with.

anonymous-user

53 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
It is possible that one qualification he has omitted to obtain is one that allows him to practise law. A legal chit chat site suggests that Lord Harley's credentials in that respect may not be all they should be. I have pinged an email to the SRA asking if the dude is kosher.

Lurking Lawyer

4,534 posts

224 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
His organisation is listed on the Law Society's register as being "Not an SRA-regulated law practice", which does indeed raise questions!

http://solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk/office/509577/...

He himself was admitted in 2010, but looks to have come up via the Chartered Legal Exec route, so presumably has been in practice for rather longer than that.


bobfett

144 posts

116 months

Friday 29th August 2014
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I wonder if he's ever walked into a courtroom in his "full get up" and the defendant has had a quiet "I think I'll tackle this one on my own, mate" type of word in his ear.

matchmaker

Original Poster:

8,463 posts

199 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
Breadvan72 said:
Frankly, I think that we all look like tits in court clobber, but this guy added to this by being a mahoosive tit, an order of magnitude more tittish than the average lawyer, and that's saying something.
Many years ago, one of my colleagues (now no longer with us, alas) got a promotion to a Deputy Clerk of Session in the Court of Session. Clerks of Court in the Supreme Courts in Scotland had to (and still have to)wear the full court clobber.

As Pat stood in front of the office staff complete with gown, wig, pinstripes and wing collar he said "I look fking ridiculous, don't I".

The laughter from the rest of us proved the truth of his assertion...


I was lucky - in the Sheriff Court the only extra requirement for clerks apart from a lounge suit was the gown!

gshughes

1,277 posts

254 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
SteveC72 said:
I can remember a Scottish television advert from the late eighties that was broadcast in the middle of the night. It was a criminal defence solicitor advertising his services and he arrived on-screen with lots of smoke behind him riding a cruiser style motorbike wearing full leathers.

Can't remember the guys name, but as teenagers we all thought it was really cool and we imagined that that's how he would arrive at court.
I remember that too! Sadly I don't think it was Donald Findlay QC, the pipe, deerstalker and mutton chops would have set off the bike and leathers perfectly.

Taita

7,592 posts

202 months

Friday 29th August 2014
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Is there a pic of him in his full 'I'm a fking screamer' rig?

hidetheelephants

23,754 posts

192 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
gshughes said:
SteveC72 said:
I can remember a Scottish television advert from the late eighties that was broadcast in the middle of the night. It was a criminal defence solicitor advertising his services and he arrived on-screen with lots of smoke behind him riding a cruiser style motorbike wearing full leathers.

Can't remember the guys name, but as teenagers we all thought it was really cool and we imagined that that's how he would arrive at court.
I remember that too! Sadly I don't think it was Donald Findlay QC, the pipe, deerstalker and mutton chops would have set off the bike and leathers perfectly.
Ross Harper I think; I remember the cheese-fest adverts too, he looked as though he was just about to ride off for a quick half at the Blue Oyster bar.

tvrgit

8,470 posts

251 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
Googly-woogly found his twitter account : https://twitter.com/alanblacker/status/50532524280...

his twitter said:
Having spoken to The Law Society Gazette and my lawyers No further comments will be made unless I am advised so to do. The content of feeds…

a boardman

1,316 posts

199 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
Would it mean a re trial for the person who he was meant to be defending if his qualifications where not suitable to practice law.

anonymous-user

53 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
PractiSE, please! Potentially, the verdict could be set aside if it were to be established that the defence advocate was unlicensed, but I see from one report that this guy apparently practises via a law firm, not his whacky outfit that he has a bonkers website for.

kowalski655

14,599 posts

142 months

Friday 29th August 2014
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His appearancwe reminds me of Penn Jillette

mph1977

12,467 posts

167 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
I can only think of three places where Order of St John medals should be worn

1. on SJA formal uniform if you are member of SJA

2. tacked on to the rest of your rack, as is allowed as a British Order of Chivalry, if you have medals from Military service / stat emergency services service / have got an OBE or better ...

3. in miniature form on black tie / white tie as miniatures are always a good conversation starter as formal event