DRAFTING SKELETON ARGUMENTS: ROUNDING UP THE POSTS
Here we look at some guidance, and some previous posts on this blog, about drafting skeleton arguments. “Sir James Hunt has told us of the (unattributed) judicial reaction on receiving a 35 page document which was to the effect…
SKELETON ARGUMENTS: BE SUCCINCT AND TO THE POINT: “THE ISSUE WAS ALL BUT LOST IN THE PLETHORA OF PAPER”: COURT OF APPEAL FIRES WARNING SHOT
Now that Lord Justice Jackson has retired someone needs to take his place to provide the (more or less quarterly) reminder to practitioners to keep skeleton arguments short and to the point. Step in Lord Justice Hickinbottom in Harverye v The…
USING A SKELETON ARGUMENT TO TRY TO FILL GAPS IN THE EVIDENCE THIS IS NOT GOING TO END WELL…
The judgment today in M&P Enterprises (London) Ltd v Norfolk Square (Northern Section) Ltd [2018] EWHC 2665 (Ch) makes interesting reading. The appeal concerned criticisms of the conduct of a trial by a circuit judge. The main difficulty was that the…
WHEN AN APPEAL MISSES THE POINT: APPELLANT FAILED TO IDENTIFY THE ISSUES ON APPEAL
There are some surprising observations in the judgment in The Bar Standards Board (BSB) v Crawford [2017] EWHC 3101 (Admin). Not the least that the appellant’s documents did not deal with central issues in the appeal. “The grounds of appeal in…
"UNNECESSARY, UNHELPFUL & UNACCEPTABLE" : OVER-LONG SKELETON ARGUMENTS – AGAIN.
There have been a series of judgments in the civil courts, notably from Jackson L.J., commenting on the length of skeleton arguments. The criminal courts are not immune. In R -v- Brandford [2016] EWCA Crim 1749 the Court of Appeal…
WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS: STATEMENTS OF ISSUES; PLEADING AND PROOF
The decision of Mr Justice Walker in Burrows -v- Northumbrian Walker Ltd [2014] EWHC 3305(QB) considers the need for clarity in written submission and for the issues the judge is asked to determine to be clearly defined. It also considers…