The Ministry of Justice

Is it true that the judges boycotted the opening party for the new Ministry of Justice or did the MoJ just forget to tell them about it? And will anyone remember the civil courts in the excitement over prisons and civil liberties?

I ask about the party invitations because it appears that no-one remembered to tell Lord Falconer about the imminent dismemberment of his former department, the Department for Constitutional Affairs, and the creation of a whole new one. He read about it in a Sunday newspaper in January where he found that the DCA – not a bad department by the standards of the times – was to be renamed and dumped with the least competent part of the Home Office functions, including those responsible for prisons.

Rule Committee Open Meeting

Let me confess at once that I missed the Civil Procedure Rule Committee Open Meeting on Friday, which limits somewhat my scope for writing about it. Mind you, I thought it was the Rule Committee Open Day and was quite looking forward to it all.

Anacomp buys CaseLogistix

Anacomp Inc, a large US provider of document and business process management solutions, has acquired CaseLogistix, the evidence and litigation management software company from Nashville, Tennessee.

Business and pleasure mix at Trilantic party

To Broadgate last night for Trilantic’s last Third Thursday party, although by the time I got home it felt as if it had been last Thursday’s third party. Nigel Murray’s parties tend to leave one feeling as if one has been drinking and eating well all day.

Document Retention

I have posted a new series of articles on my web site at http://www.chrisdalelawyersupport.co.uk.

Called The Pyramid of Preparedness, the articles look at three tiers of action which a business ought to consider, either as a potential risk – a sudden requirement to give Disclosure in US or UK proceedings or to a regulator – or as considered polices to reduce the risk that you will not be able to comply properly or at all with a Disclosure obligation.

The three tiers are e-Disclosure, Litigation Readiness and a Document Retention Policy.

I describe it as a pyramid because the scope in terms of the number of documents diminishes as the urgency increases. At the top, a Disclosure request relates to the documents for a single case but must be dealt with at once. At the base, a document retention policy relates to every document you have got or will have.

The articles series begins here. The headings are:

1. Introduction
2. Disclosure for litigation or regulator
3. Litigation Readiness
4. A document retention policy
5. Where do you begin?

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you want to discuss anything covered by the articles.