Weekend video: 'Rumpole: Law vs Justice'

Book recommendation: 'Wig Begone' by Charles Courtley

Wig Begone is an exhilarating tale of Charles' early career with disaster often lurking round the corner and culminating in his own appearance in front of England's most notorious judge!

Available from Amazon.co.uk

Braunton Tug of War 2011

Weekend video: 'It's A Wonderful Life'

Sponsored blog post: The inevitably of landlord disputes by Therese Wallin

Most tenants will, unfortunately, be able to recall some unpleasant encounter with a landlord. Landlord disputes are often stressful and both parties can find it difficult to handle them. With Christmas around the corner, the cold temperatures have already arrived and many are struggling to keep their homes warm. Of course, in a season already perceived as stressful by many, the last thing that a tenant needs is to find themselves in a dispute with their landlord. Common issues may concern poor isolation and damp.

As is often the case, there are two sides to each story. Hence, it follows that it is not only difficult for tenants who find themselves in a dispute with their landlord, but landlords often encounter problematic tenants. Of course, landlords are famous for not wanting to spend money on upgrading properties and always going for the cheapest solution, which might not always be the best. In some instances, the reluctance of landlords to keep a property at a satisfactorily standard will force tenants take drastic action, such as withholding rent until the property is safe to live in again. Some will have to take legal action.

Therese Wallin is Content Editor at Contact Law (Thomson Reuters) and reflects here  about some of the current ongoing issues affecting many in the UK. Therese has an LLB in Law and Human Rights and an LLM in Public International Law.

Book recommendation: 'The Litigators' by John Grisham

'Grisham is brilliantly comic in a novel that is full of zest and brimming with memorable characters and rich storylines... The legal storylines are typically rich in social detail and instances of entertaining rascality... Away from his usual southern turf, Grisham is turned by Chicago into a more Dickensian writer, soft-hearted at times but predominantly funny... a brilliant comic set piece'

(The Sunday Times)

'The Litigators is up there with the best of Grisham's 25 novels... vintage Grisham. [His] style is direct and the result is a superbly plotted legal thriller'

(Sunday Express)

'The Litigators is a thrilling romp through the murky world of lawsuits and shysters - rich and poor. Packed with [Grisham's] signature twists and turns, not to mention lots of double-dealing, be careful if you're reading The Litigators on the bus, you may just miss your stop'

(Irish Independent)

'[A] snappy, well-turned novel...Grisham brings his usual nuanced understanding of tort law and civil jurisprudence'

(Washington Post)

Available from Amazon.co.uk

Don't miss 'The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff' on BBC iPlayer! @iammarkevans

I watched The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff on BBC2 last night and couldn't recommend it more highly. It's got an incredible cast which includes Stephen Fry, Robert Webb, David Mitchell, Celia Imrie, Johnny Vegas...the list goes on. It's also written by the brilliant Mark Evans who has already written four series of Bleak Expectations for Radio 4 (and who you can follow on Twitter at @iammarkevans). This was not just slightly good comedy but it was classic British humour at its very best. I really wish there were more programmes like this around but I can only imagine that the reason there aren't is that writing talents like that come along only perhaps once in a generation. You can see it on iPlayer and I'm delighted to hear that there are three more episodes still to come. A big and explosive thumbs up to the BBC for creating such a wonderful piece of comedy drama.

My dog Jack is immortalised by top Hollywood animator Alex Williams!

My dog Jack has just been immortalised by top Hollywood animator Alex Williams who also draws the Queen's Counsel cartoons for The Times and has written numerous books including the excellent The Queen's Counsel Official Lawyers Handbook. He has worked on films such as Roger Rabbit, Narnia and Marmaduke and even drew drew Harry Potter's deer Patronus. You can see a video of Jack surfing here.

Weekend video: 'Sweet Smell of Success'

The real meaning of Christmas

Book recommendation: 'Letters to a Young Poet' by Rainer Maria Rilke

"...I cannot think of a better book to put into the hands of any young would-be poet, as an inspirational guide to poetry and to surviving as a poet in a hostile world." Harry Fainlight, The Times

Available from Amazon.co.uk

Weekend video: 'Franklin and Bash'

Christmas competition - win signed copies of my two BabyBarista novels!

With Christmas looming, I have decided to hold a competition in order to help encourage people to buy my two BabyBarista novels Law and Peace and Law and Disorder which are both published by Harry Potter's very own Bloomsbury Publishing. First prize will be a signed copy of both novels, second prize will be a signed copy of Law and Peace and third prize a signed copy of Law and Disorder. In order to enter, all you have to do is to promote either or both of the books in some way. It might be through forwarding this post, tweeting about the books or through giving them a mention on Facebook or by email to your friends. It might simply be by mentioning them at a meeting of your law society, book group or, frankly, even down the pub. Whatever it is, please put the details in the comment below this post (I've changed the settings so that you only need to leave your name and email). Put as many details as you like (eg number of Facebook friends, Twitter followers, people down the pub you drunkenly mentioned it to, etc). If it's a tweet then if you mention @babybarista I'll be able to see it. For other things I guess I'll have to rely on the fact that you're mostly lawyers or lawyers in training and therefore of the very highest moral standing in terms of honesty and integrity (!) The closing date is midnight on 23rd December and I will then decide at my complete and utter (and totally subjective) discretion who are to be the various winners and contact you to get the postal address where you'd like me to send the prize.

For your information, Law and Disorder (2009) was described by The Times as "a cross between The Talented Mr Ripley, Rumpole and Bridget Jones's Diary" and Law and Peace (2011) was described by the Daily Mail as a "funny, sharp account of backstabbing Bar life...highly recommended" and by broadcaster Jeremy Vine as "a novel bursting with invention". Both books are available at amazon.co.uk.

Book recommendation: 'My Uncle Oswald' by Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl's first-ever novel presents the scurrilous memoirs of that delightful old reprobate from switch bitch, Oswald Hendryks Cornelius - connoisseur, bon vivant, collector of spiders, scorpions, odd walking sticks, lover of opera, expert on Chinese porcelain, and without doubt the greatest fornicator of all time. In this delightful picaresque story, it is revealed how Uncle Oswald first achieved great wealth - all thanks to the Sundance blister beetle, which when ground to powder has the most electrifying aphrodisiac qualities. It is 1919 - armed with the powder and aided by the beautiful amoral Yasmin how comely, Oswald begins an audacious commercial enterprise which involves seducing the most famous men in Europe - from crowded heads to Bernard Shaw and Marcel Proust.

Available from Amazon.co.uk

Sponsored blog post: Racially aggravated public order offence on public transport by Therese Wallin

Criminal lawyers will encounter many situations where multiculturalism will be at the heart of a legal matter. The likelihood of encountering such cases may be even higher for criminal lawyers in London, or professional practising in any other culturally diverse city. In such milieus there will always be individuals who consider it appropriate to voice their prejudiced thoughts.

Discrimination on any ground is unlawful and the cultural diversity of society is one of its main strengths. Unfortunately, criminal lawyers were made all too aware of this recently, when a young woman, travelling by public transport with a child, had a public outburst about the cultural diversity of the country.

Fellow passengers reacted with anger, disturbance and disbelief. Thanks to CCTV her actions will have repercussions. She has had an initial hearing and is currently in custody. The abusive woman is charged with a racially aggravated public order offence. Criminal lawyers will see many people go through the justice system for various reasons. Offences targeted at the heart of our society should serve to remind us how important it is for the law to actively serve to protect society’s members.

Therese Wallin is Content Editor at Contact Law (Thomson Reuters) and reflects here about some of the current ongoing issues affecting many in the UK. Therese has an LLB in Law and Human Rights and an LLM in Public International Law.

Surfing Museum Charity Event on 15th December (click to enlarge)

Weekend video: 'The Good Wife'