Sometimes truly old memories do have their value. My late former boss, mentor and dear friend George Jonas [ a Kindertransporten survivor and of fierce principles] for years found himself negotiating fees and conditions for legal aid defence solicitors with at that time Home officials, who could be HARD work. In pressing the-our- case he sought to liken the case to that of doctors who also after all worked -and work- long and antisocial hours. One official’s reaction:” But, Mr. Jonas, doctors are on our side [sic]!” Now, how far and how realistically has official thinking truly “progressed” since those several decades ago? We would of course be assured, emphatically, that “they” would never view it in that way but then, as Mandy Rice -Davies (almost) said,”[They] would, wouldn’t [they]. Also let us always remember that the graveyard of unmeritorious, hopeless cases pursued obtuse LS to the bitter and predictable, ignominious end is down to one government after another. In those cases the administration in question has never knowingly stinted itself in airily waving goodbye to healthy chunks of PUBLIC FUNDS, its own, unaudited LEGAL AID “treasury”. We on the other hand have for so very long had to devote long, unproductive hours to justifying every penny spent. Right that may be but what of “them”. And sometimes I find myself musing:” just who are “they”?
Oh dear: so sorry:”obtusely”
Sorry:”Home Office officials”.
Sometimes truly old memories do have their value. My late former boss, mentor and dear friend George Jonas [ a Kindertransporten survivor and of fierce principles] for years found himself negotiating fees and conditions for legal aid defence solicitors with at that time Home officials, who could be HARD work. In pressing the-our- case he sought to liken the case to that of doctors who also after all worked -and work- long and antisocial hours. One official’s reaction:” But, Mr. Jonas, doctors are on our side [sic]!” Now, how far and how realistically has official thinking truly “progressed” since those several decades ago? We would of course be assured, emphatically, that “they” would never view it in that way but then, as Mandy Rice -Davies (almost) said,”[They] would, wouldn’t [they]. Also let us always remember that the graveyard of unmeritorious, hopeless cases pursued obtuse LS to the bitter and predictable, ignominious end is down to one government after another. In those cases the administration in question has never knowingly stinted itself in airily waving goodbye to healthy chunks of PUBLIC FUNDS, its own, unaudited LEGAL AID “treasury”. We on the other hand have for so very long had to devote long, unproductive hours to justifying every penny spent. Right that may be but what of “them”. And sometimes I find myself musing:” just who are “they”?