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Clarity is everything. The reason why this superb textbook has sailed triumphantly into its sixth edition is the ability of its author, Patrick Curran QC, to bring that essential quality to the table at all times. It demonstrates the necessary precision of proper pleadings and does so with real scholarship and excellent example. Sir John Mummery has identified the quality of this writing and he is right to do so.
The latest edition has 11 new chapters geared to today’s challenges in personal injury litigation and a complete revision of its structure and content. Valuable case notes are part of the mix and, for example, the way in which applications for relief from sanctions should be evidenced and pleaded. Even for those who do not stray often into its territory, it is a joy to use.
"The reason why this superb textbook has sailed triumphantly into its sixth edition is the ability of its author, Patrick Curran QC, to bring that essential quality to the table at all times"
Read also with joy the droll and sometimes colourful prefaces of previous editions, and the present delightfully nostalgic one (for the author has found in his old chambers, Farrar’s Building, a good place to revise this essential textbook; and long may his work thrive).
On the bench and out in the fields of play, judges and practitioners will find this an indispensable companion. For our judgments and our submissions can be built on solid rock and where we succeed, we have been buttressed by real erudition. Most of all, by clarity.
Reviewer: Nigel Pascoe QC is a silk at Pump Court Chambers and a member of the Counsel Editorial Board.
Nigel is a former leader of the Western Circuit, practises crime from Pump Court Chambers, and is a Master of Drama in the Inner Temple. He is on the editorial board of Counsel.
Clarity is everything. The reason why this superb textbook has sailed triumphantly into its sixth edition is the ability of its author, Patrick Curran QC, to bring that essential quality to the table at all times. It demonstrates the necessary precision of proper pleadings and does so with real scholarship and excellent example. Sir John Mummery has identified the quality of this writing and he is right to do so.
The latest edition has 11 new chapters geared to today’s challenges in personal injury litigation and a complete revision of its structure and content. Valuable case notes are part of the mix and, for example, the way in which applications for relief from sanctions should be evidenced and pleaded. Even for those who do not stray often into its territory, it is a joy to use.
"The reason why this superb textbook has sailed triumphantly into its sixth edition is the ability of its author, Patrick Curran QC, to bring that essential quality to the table at all times"
Read also with joy the droll and sometimes colourful prefaces of previous editions, and the present delightfully nostalgic one (for the author has found in his old chambers, Farrar’s Building, a good place to revise this essential textbook; and long may his work thrive).
On the bench and out in the fields of play, judges and practitioners will find this an indispensable companion. For our judgments and our submissions can be built on solid rock and where we succeed, we have been buttressed by real erudition. Most of all, by clarity.
Reviewer: Nigel Pascoe QC is a silk at Pump Court Chambers and a member of the Counsel Editorial Board.
The Chair of the Bar reports back
Clement Cowley, Partner at The Penny Group, explains how global events can influence the performance of pensions and ISAs, and why taking a long-term approach to investing is often the most effective strategy
Mário Barroso, Head of R&D and Method Development at AlphaBiolabs, discusses what family law professionals need to know about hallucinogens, from the main hallucinogenic drugs encountered in family proceedings, to their effects and the testing options available
Harmony Christian Ministries is the latest charity to benefit from a £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs via the company’s Giving Back initiative
By David Green
Mário Barroso, Head of R&D and Method Development at AlphaBiolabs, examines the forensic science underpinning hair drug testing, its evidential scope and limitations, and why it remains the gold standard for evidencing patterns of drug use in family proceedings
Developing a tech start-up demands a different definition of excellence to the Bar, says Saara Idelbi. The co-creator of Advocatr on entrepreneurship, AI advocacy training, and matching the thrill of a killer cross-examination
At the start of her term, Chair of the Bar 2026 Kirsty Brimelow KC set out a series of priorities for the year ahead. One of those priorities was children in the justice system
As the world becomes more digital, Barbara Vinagre Mota examines international research into the mental health consequences of judges’ exposure to graphic and immersive evidence, highlighting the importance of support systems
Reviewed by Daniel Barnett
James McNeill Whistler at Tate Britain until 27 September Rothko in Florence at Palazzo Strozzi until 23 August Reviewed by Stephen Cragg KC
