The budget speech and the legal year

The opening of the legal year is practically about nothing. I have been in this business for 18 years now, and I have attended almost all legal year opening ceremonies. The BDF bring the same feathered helmets, their Lordships and Ladyships wear the same red gowns, unsmiling faces, and horsehair wigs.

The lawyers wear the same gowns, the chief justice brings the same speech with the paragraphs reordered and the lamentations of the Law Society President remain comfortably the same. The only two things that ever significantly changed in the 18 years were the venue and the Law Society presidents.