tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1638916042737526171.post8686256888601736171..comments2024-03-28T07:16:39.621+00:00Comments on Lallands Peat Worrier: Boozing judicial quotation of the day...Lallands Peat Worrierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276270498204697708noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1638916042737526171.post-86186571495088996452011-01-10T15:03:04.837+00:002011-01-10T15:03:04.837+00:00Almax,
A splendid motto, and if I may say so, dem...Almax,<br /><br />A splendid motto, and if I may say so, demonstrating an admirable sense of priorities...Lallands Peat Worrierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07238432265194046726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1638916042737526171.post-24977240640456556662011-01-09T21:39:07.170+00:002011-01-09T21:39:07.170+00:00I'm sorry to return to this subject after such...I'm sorry to return to this subject after such a long interval, but today I happened to be glancing through Ian McIntyre's 'Life of Robert Burns' when I saw a portrait of Lord Newton (a Senator of the College of Justice) who was a contemporary of Burns in the drinking club, the Crochallan Fencibles. <br /><br />Lord Newton was definitely one of those judges who got wellied into the bottle of port during the forenoon sitting of the Court. Indeed his portrait is accompanied by a genuine biographical quotation from him, viz -<br /><br />"Drinking is my occupation, law my amusement"almaxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1638916042737526171.post-9500926969105656402010-09-21T23:43:20.189+01:002010-09-21T23:43:20.189+01:00Ha! Excellent almax, excellent! I'm sure Elish...Ha! Excellent almax, excellent! I'm sure Elish would never dream of doing anything remotely similar these days *ahem hem*. I dimly recall having heard or read this anecdote before. Was the Law Officer in question not one of the ubiquitous legal Dundases?Lallands Peat Worrierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07238432265194046726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1638916042737526171.post-6548695067773869702010-09-21T19:50:45.310+01:002010-09-21T19:50:45.310+01:00The ancient quaffing habits of the judiciary exten...The ancient quaffing habits of the judiciary extended to the Law Officers - I am reminded of the explanatory note appended by Sir Walter Scott at the end of 'Guy Mannering', under the heading 'CONVIVIAL HABITS OF THE SCOTTISH BAR' - I paraphrase as follows -<br /><br />"The account (in the novel) was taken from a story told me by an aged gentleman….(it had been thought very desirable to obtain the then Lord Advocate's assistance in the drawing of a (civil) appeal)…….the solicitor employed for the appellant, attended by my informant acting as his clerk, went to the Lord Advocate's chambers in the Fishmarket Close. It was Saturday at noon, the Court was just dismissed, the Lord Advocate had changed his dress ….and his servant and horses were at the foot of the close to carry him to Arniston. It was scarcely possible to get him to listen to a word concerning business.<br /><br />The wily agent, however, on pretence of asking one or two questions…drew his Lordship, who was no less an eminent bon vivant than a lawyer of unequalled talent, to take a whet at a celebrated tavern…..dinner was ordered, the law was laid aside for a time, and the bottle circulated very freely…..<br /><br />At nine o'clock, after he had been honouring Bacchus for so many hours,….paper, pen and ink were brought,…. the Lord Advocate began to dictate the appeal case – and continued at his task until 4 o'clock in the morning. By next day's post, the solicitor sent the case to London, a chef-d'oeuvre of its kind – it was not neccesary on its revisal to correct five words……"almaxnoreply@blogger.com