Blackstone's Tower: The English Law School - College of Social ...

Law in Culture and Society
by the Immigration Service and a feature commenting on the trial
of the Menendez brothers for the murder of their parents in
Hollywood, proceedings which had been televised live in the
United States over several months. In addition half a page was
given to the start of an inquiry by the Monopolies and Mergers
Commission into the prices charged by Nintendo and Sega for
video games. The long-running conflicts within the Council of the
London Zoo highlighted some internal legal and constitutional
issues. There were also several short reports of disciplinary proceedings
before the Jockey Club and other sporting bodies, but
these were less detailed than they sometimes are: the first time I
did this exercise, I found a detailed summary by a racing journalist
of argument by Queen's Counsel before the Jockey Club.
Homicide and sex had their normal share of cases reported
(including a brief reference to the amputative Lorena Bobbitt), but
there was a fair spread of topics, including gender discrimination;
illegal arms dealing; an I.R.A. explosives trial; an action by Mensa
to compel Camden Education Authority to pay school fees for a
child with a high I.Q.; the expulsion of three German and Belgian
"neo-Nazis"; insider dealing; the banning of a deputy circuit judge
for drunk driving; a new chapter in the saga of Lloyds "names";
and a £50 million claim for negligence against a leading City firm
of solicitors. There were reports on at least three alleged miscarriages
of justice, one dealing with the Carl Bridgewater case and
an interesting story about the University of Cambridge giving support
to a professor of medicine who had been jailed in France for
alleged negligence in respect of the distribution of HIV contaminated
blood. This looked like a fairly typical day.
(c) Parliament was in session, but this was a relatively quiet day
for legislative activity. Apart from the formal listing of the day's
business, mentioned above, the most discussed issues were the age
of consent for homosexuals and the debate on the Local Government
etc (Scotland) Bill, in which the Government was accused of
cynically promoting electoral advantage. A feature article urged the
revival of the use of Parliamentary impeachment proceedings for
dealing with corruption by ministers and other members of the
executive. And there were several items dealing with issues of
public policy which were relevant as background to possible legislative
action in respect of domestic violence, credit cards, and
insolvency.
(d) Legislative activity and proceedings in courts and other tribunals
present the most visible and sensational side of the law to the
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