The law in times of crisis

June 25, 2008

There are two contrasting law stories in The Independent today.

leslie.jpgOn the one hand, John Leslie vehemently denies a recent allegation of rape, saying it is “totally untrue” and “the mother of all stitch-ups”. He says he is once again subject to “trial by media” and that if he “sounds bitter,” it’s because he is.

On the other, the All England Club is accused of breaking the law by executing pigeons which had apparently been bothering some of the players at Wimbledon. Animal rights lobbyists say that the organisers of Wimbledon must halt their “cruel and illegal behaviour”.

Perhaps mindful of the old Fleet Street adage that if you say nothing, there’s no story, the All England Club’s response to public scrutiny is to choose not to comment. The latest accusation against Leslie may well prove to be as insubstantial as those in his past, but at times of crisis PR, which is best? To go on the record or say nothing? The seriousness of the alleged legal infringement no doubt plays a large part in this decision.

Image courtesy of the BBC.

 

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Not so right said Fred

February 2, 2012
fred hat

So Farewell, then, Sir Fred Goodwin.

Now you are just Fred.

Not Right Said Fred, but plain Fred.

The Forfeiture Committee did for you.

No one had heard of it before,

But Dave said it had to act, and it did.

Trouble is that no one knows what to think.

Is it ‘Alas, poor Fred‘,

Or ‘Hurray! Sir Fred is dead!’?

We don’t know.

Do you?

By A. Mob, aged 1,378 and a half.

London Goes AWOL

January 31, 2012
CNN

STOP PRESS:

Fed up with being stuck on the Thames in south-east England, London yesterday decided to move. In a dramatic gesture which augurs ill for the Olympics, the city upped sticks and relocated to East Anglia.

Lawyers were not consulted about the move, and the city’s precise motivation remains unclear. However, financiers fear that London’s decision is a sign that it wishes to downsize. Moreover, a source from London said: “We no longer want to be Britain’s seat of power. If the Scots can deregulate, why can’t we? East Anglia is a nice place where nothing happens. It’s time for a quiet life. Please respect our right to privacy.”

Elsewhere, Birmingham did not do anything, but Manchester was seen to be packing its bags. “There’s an opportunity for us,” said Manchester. “We can become London.”

East Anglia said: “We don’t mind. It’ll be refreshing to be associated with something other than fens and flatness.”

A cartologist at CNN, which broke the extraordinary news, was later fired.

An excellent ad if ever there was one

January 25, 2012
legovader

We seem to be visually led this week but sometimes words proliferate far too much and letting an image do the talking is no bad thing. That’s another way of saying that ACCESS Agency’s work with Lego is absolutely top drawer.