tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post5325270967249085721..comments2024-03-29T12:58:06.213+00:00Comments on The Justice Diaries: McKenzie Friend ‘Act of Sederunt’ published, Lord President enforces strict conditions, calls Scots non-lawyer courtroom helpers “Lay Assistants”Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-8406384326700528792010-05-31T10:56:25.582+01:002010-05-31T10:56:25.582+01:00The lawyer's mistake in the murder case was to...The lawyer's mistake in the murder case was to pick on one of his own, as has been shown on numerous occasions the lives of clients don't count as far as the Courts are concerned.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-21438002081818486392010-05-28T20:03:50.410+01:002010-05-28T20:03:50.410+01:00BBC NEWS 28th May 2010
Killer solicitor's ...BBC NEWS 28th May 2010<br /><br />Killer solicitor's 'act of evil'<br /><br />John Cort<br />Cort's clients' accounts were missing £650,000, the court heard<br /><br />When Vina Patel confided that her business partner had "badgered her" into doubling their firm's life insurance policy, her husband Surendra felt something was wrong.<br /><br />But he could never have imagined that his wife would be killed by a hitman hired by her friend and colleague John Cort, who needed the £1.5m business protection pay-out to pay off debts run up to fund his "extravagant lifestyle".<br /><br />"I find myself very, very angry that someone can do such a thing to such a nice person for money," Mr Patel said.<br /><br />He and the couple's daughter Anisha found 51-year-old Mrs Patel's body at the foot of the staircase at Cort and Co solicitors in Blackbird Road, Leicester, in January 2009.<br /><br /> <br />What she must have suffered in her last moments... that's very haunting<br />Surendra Patel<br /><br />Pair guilty of killing solicitor<br /><br />Mr Patel said: "It's horrific, an act of evil.<br /><br />"I saw the lights were on and the doorbell wasn't answered, and I felt something was wrong.<br /><br />"What's horrifying since we learned it wasn't just an accidental fall, is what she must have suffered in her last moments, and that's very haunting."<br /><br />Jurors were told Mrs Patel had either fallen down the stairs as she was attacked, or killed elsewhere and her body arranged to make it look like an accident.<br /><br />When Cort was arrested for the murder, Mr Patel said the pieces of the jigsaw slotted into place.<br /><br />"We knew he was running out of money, we knew he was taking money here and there," he said.<br /><br />"I told Vina it was disturbing me a bit that he'd doubled the [life insurance] policy, but she said 'John's been badgering me for a while to do this'."<br /><br />The life insurance policy had been taken out by Cort and Mrs Patel who ran the firm together, to protect the business in case of the death of either partner.<br /><br />Other victims<br /><br />Cort's other victims were the clients he was stealing money from to pay off his debts.<br /><br />John Oates, from Leicester, had £150,000 taken by Cort after the sale of his mother's house.<br /><br />He said: "He's a disgrace to himself and the profession."<br /><br />Vina Patel<br />Vina Patel was a partner in a Leicester firm of solicitors<br /><br />Revelations which came out during the trial have shocked colleagues, including fellow Leicester solicitor Noel Walsh, who described Cort as appearing "a very traditional, upstanding, very well dressed and spoken solicitor, someone you would trust".<br /><br />He said: "I was staggered as more evidence came out.<br /><br />"In all the business dealings I had with him he was very professional and so was his partner Vina."<br /><br />During the trial the court heard Cort was heavily in debt due to his lifestyle, which included renting flats for girlfriends.<br /><br />He hired Brian Farrell, a male escort who claimed the pair were in a sexual relationship, to carry out the murder, the court heard.<br /><br />Mr Patel said: "He's destroyed our family. Vina was the glue, she was the laughter of the house, with her around we didn't have to worry about anything.<br /><br />"I miss her every second of the day."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-25966967358594385642010-05-28T16:14:59.461+01:002010-05-28T16:14:59.461+01:00This was never going to be allowed 'as-is'...This was never going to be allowed 'as-is' from the English side no matter how hard you all tried.Anyway its good to see you keeping them on their toes.I dare say Lord Hamilton will be sick of the attention now!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-25827024920150369582010-05-28T12:11:28.380+01:002010-05-28T12:11:28.380+01:00As I've said before incidents such as this acc...As I've said before incidents such as this accumulate & amount to judicial dictatorship when judges select who can or cant have access to justice just because they cant get the services of a lawyer.<br /><br />How much is Lord Hamilton earning ? Its about £200,000 plus a year.I earn about £14,500 and cant afford one of his legal colleagues to come in and mess up my life so we need to take the management of the courts away from the judges and leave them to make the decisions in cases only which is how it should be.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-83450208464656076522010-05-28T11:24:36.992+01:002010-05-28T11:24:36.992+01:00It is now for Margo Macdonald, Nigel Don et al to ...It is now for Margo Macdonald, Nigel Don et al to return to Lord Hamilton and keep him to his promise to keep the matter under review and amend it as necessary.<br /><br />Watch this space.............Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-90891339102293714392010-05-27T23:56:42.140+01:002010-05-27T23:56:42.140+01:00Mr Don continued : “Given that many of those who m...Mr Don continued : “Given that many of those who might act as lay assistants might be paid by a charity such as a citizens advice bureau to help those who need help, it seems a step too far to assert that the lay assistant should receive no remuneration from anywhere. I can well understand that the Lord President and his colleagues do not want, as it were, second-class lawyers hawking themselves around as McKenzie friends, but I am slightly concerned that the suggested rules go a bit too far.”<br /><br /><br />Well said Mr Don, but I would rather have a McKenzie friend to help me than one of the bastards from Hamilton's club. People of Scotland do not trust these lawyers because they stick together and leave people with no access to justice. They are as far from justice as is possible. A lawyer once told me "the legal system is not for exposing lawyers". Ask yourselves when you have ever known a lawyer to sue another lawyer for a client? They are corrupt through and through and so is Hamilton. I would like to know how many skeletons he has in his Law Society archives?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-46738050093627912002010-05-27T23:47:49.193+01:002010-05-27T23:47:49.193+01:00You will never pull the carpet from under the feet...You will never pull the carpet from under the feet of lawyers will you Hamilton?<br /><br />A legal system that is driven by the protection of lawyers is illegitimate. You will not get away with this Hamilton, titles are a mark of shame, you are proof of that.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-35441157332191554362010-05-27T23:31:02.953+01:002010-05-27T23:31:02.953+01:00It has emerged from the published guidance the Lor...It has emerged from the published guidance the Lord President intends to forbid McKenzie Friends in Scotland from receiving any payment for their service, this despite the fact that case law exists in England & Wales, allowing a McKenzie Friend to receive remuneration for their services. <br />-----------------------------------<br />A matter for the European Court of justice, blind prejudice from Hamilton the Legal despot of Scotland. You are a biased corrupt man Hamilton.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-33300858609613202972010-05-27T21:37:30.295+01:002010-05-27T21:37:30.295+01:00It seems very odd to me that something this big af...It seems very odd to me that something this big affecting our rights in court is left to a judge to decide.<br /><br />Why do we bother having the Scottish Parliament if they are not prepared to make the laws like McKenzie Friend ?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-55535420084551441342010-05-27T20:38:07.850+01:002010-05-27T20:38:07.850+01:00Good expose as always Peter.This proves yet again ...Good expose as always Peter.This proves yet again Scotland is useless as a reliable jurisdiction for litigation of any kind.<br /><br />Move south ?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-50012265642813697902010-05-27T19:44:00.844+01:002010-05-27T19:44:00.844+01:00Another fine mess - courtesy of the vested interes...Another fine mess - courtesy of the vested interests of the Law Society of Scotland and the Faculty of Advocates.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-25529388887472383832010-05-27T19:17:40.224+01:002010-05-27T19:17:40.224+01:00I have a stubborn attachment to the word dictator ...I have a stubborn attachment to the word dictator regarding Hamilton, a prejudiced twit hell bent on protecting his subordinates income.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-67362524280447162932010-05-27T19:14:34.045+01:002010-05-27T19:14:34.045+01:00Who is going to be a McKenzie friend if they canno...Who is going to be a McKenzie friend if they cannot even claim expenses. This man is highlighting yet again that lawyers look after each other and they care not one jot about anything but money. <br /><br />He has to implementing McKenzie friends due to massive pressure so now he is using his power to demotivate people becoming McKenzie friends. If a newspaper would publish a letter from me I would call Hamilton a criminal in public, my last letter was not published. Dissent must be proportional to power, Hamilton is a disgrace and typical of the rats in wigs who think the legal system and the public are theirs to abuse for profit.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-32909531719896906982010-05-27T18:44:35.510+01:002010-05-27T18:44:35.510+01:00“It is absurd to require a person to give details ...“It is absurd to require a person to give details of any previous legal experience, qualifications or family relationships, and I see that Lord Hamilton is still insisting - regardless of existing case law - that no payment (not even expenses) can be claimed. I hope and expect that the Justice Committee will be pushed to see the necessary amendments included.”<br /><br />WELL SAID !!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-81459124000238635072010-05-27T18:29:44.464+01:002010-05-27T18:29:44.464+01:00Seems a lot of trouble for nothing.What is your ne...Seems a lot of trouble for nothing.What is your next move on this Peter ??Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-39582311935361515372010-05-27T17:43:27.888+01:002010-05-27T17:43:27.888+01:00Clearly not a success by any measure with all thes...Clearly not a success by any measure with all these "conditions" attached.<br /><br />The wording of the "Application by party litigant for lay support" is laughable.It reads like the court wants to ban McKenzie Friends before they come through the door.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-24650682344794669872010-05-27T16:36:28.439+01:002010-05-27T16:36:28.439+01:00So in actual fact the Lord President took no notic...So in actual fact the Lord President took no notice of the Parliament.Typical!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20722989.post-59916817225514688402010-05-27T16:36:28.440+01:002010-05-27T16:36:28.440+01:00If as Lord Hamilton previously stated McKenzie Fri...If as Lord Hamilton previously stated McKenzie Friends had always been available in Scotland, why the need for an Act of Sederunt now?<br /><br />Hopefully the petitioner Stewart McKenzie will write again to the Committee and insist that they call Lord Hamilton to explain this contradiction and;<br /><br />- his stubborn attachment to the<br /> term 'lay assistant', <br /><br />- the proposed denial of any<br /> payment (even expenses) thereby<br /> willfully disregarding<br /> established caselaw,<br /><br />- seek to amend the nonsense about<br /> an applicant's need to list<br /> their 'relevant experience' and<br /> any family relationship to the<br /> party.<br /><br />- ask why points raised by two<br /> committee members at the last<br /> hearing for Lord Hamilton's<br /> attention apparently never<br /> reached him.<br /><br />All in all another unsuccessful face-saving attempt by Scotland's Judiciary, made worse by the interference of the Law Society and the Faculty of Advocates.<br /><br />What's new?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com