Monday 19 May 2014

If Scotland Leaves, what happens to the rest of us?

The House of Lords Constitution Committee has been asking some big and important questions about what happens if Scotland decides to up sticks and leave the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (although polling this week-end confidently seems to predict that this will not happen, not least because of the large numbers of English referendum voters resident in Scotland).  The Committee's Report is one of the best analyses of the potential constitutional crisis which may follow; asking questions such as - will E, W and NI be a new successor state (i.e. with a need to apply to rejoin the EU?) or the same State just without Scotland (which is the predominant view of everybody save for the Scottish Government....).  Another important question is what will happen with the Scottish MPs at Westminster (particularly during that weird time between yes vote and actual independence) and what happens on Scottish independence day if they leave their seats but consequently bring down HMG's majority?  Who should negotiate the terms of independence and what happens to all of the UK's assets North of the Border (particularly of the nuclear military variety) and will the MOD move them all S just prior to the Big Day?

The potential for political (if not worse) strife if Scotland votes yes and all the shared assets have to be negotiated over is obvious and we just have to cross everything that this historic union has a little more life in it yet.........



Saturday 17 May 2014

Central London County Court - now at the RCJ?

The Court Hearing Centre in Central London belonging to the new national County Court will no longer be in its splendid (from the outside, not inside) Regency (think Bath) style crescent in Regent's Park, but has gone to a new home in the Thomas Moore Building (last home of the Chancery Division, now residing in the Rolls Building) within the RCJ estate on the Strand to be known as the Central London Hearing Centre of the new national County Court.  Just a little example of how a Court which looked after Westminster and Camden is being moved under the new non-local arrangement - all to save money and resources.  No doubt the Crown Estate will be able to re-let the incumbent Court at great profit! The CLCC has for many years been effectively an overflow for the Chan D of the High Court and its location in the Chan D's old home is no coincidence because it is going to get more of its work, with a newly widened Chan, bankruptcy and winding up jurisdiction to take the pressure off the Rolls Buildings Registrars (a process which started in 2011)........ The Supreme Court Costs Office and the Costs Judges and Masters will continue to occupy the TMB for the meantime....

So goodbye this


And hello this little beauty: