BENCH AND BAR.

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 71, 20 September 1930, Page 21

BENCH AND BAR.

'The Barrister," by Sir Harold Morns, K.C. (London: Geoffrey Bles), is a pleasant description of life in and out of Court described by an eminent English barrister. It is bright with scintillae juris and affords glimpses of prominent personages in the English Courts, and refers to a few notable cases. He has a few words to say on atmosphere" in the Court, which may not be new to the barrister but may come fresh to the' layman, and they are these: '"At mospherc'--perhaps best describes the impressions and emotions ot the man at the back of the Court, and as I found out later, 'atmosphere' plays a large part in jury work. Counsel stands ; g the Judge, with the witness on one side and the jury box on_ the other; he cannot see what is going on behind him; he has no chance to hear, but .he can always tell, for the atmosphere' comes welling up around him. Let him ask a wrong question, interrupt unnecessarily, make a. false point, or use a sentence which jars, and the antagonism of the man at the back of the Court is aroused and it passes hU a restless spirit to solicitors, client, witness, jury box, and even Judge." The general, reader should find /I ho Barrister" as entertaining'as it is enlightening, and it is probable the members of the legal profession will discover in it some good stories that they have not heard before.