Reply #19: English barristers, by the way, can never be sued for malpractice

[AP]

because the solicitor hires them, and the client has no privit of contract with the barrister, the client can't sue the barrister. And you know what? Getting the advice of a barrister, according to English law, insulates a solicitor from malpractice (ie, it might be malpractice for a solicitor not to get the advice of a barrister, but it's a legal impossibility to be negligent once you've taken the advice of a barrister). Needless to say, this protection racket can result in some pretty shoddy legal advice.

This doesn't have much to do with Lord Hutton, but when I read your statement "in the way only an English barrister knows how" I almost laughed out loud.

Fortunately, one of the many reforms labour has in its sight is to eliminate irrationalities like these (which the Tories protected for years, and which I doubt the Lib Dems care about) from the justice system.