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Tuesday, December 24, 2024

Sir Bob Jones: Judith Collins naivety


The recent fracas at Auckland’s Northern Club, involving Judge Emma Aitken, her medical specialist partner, and in a separate incident, barrister Michael Reed K.C, brought much delight to the media, so much so, Wellington’s Post for example, joyously front-paged it word for word, two days in a row.

That said, I was astonished by Attorney General Judith Collins reaction, specifically, this “very serious” matter, was “not what I expect from members of the judiciary”.

Anyone who’s been round the block re barristers and judges, could tell Judith outrageous behaviour by the legal profession is common-place, while Michael Reed’s affected pomposity has been a life-long short-coming, which is the key reason he’s held in disdain by his legal colleagues. Before shifting to Auckland from Wellington some years ago, Michael acted for me in many cases, so I know what I’m talking about.

Judith should ask her lawyer husband who will confirm what I’ve written below re the legal profession’s ribaldry. Alternatively, she could start reading newspapers as virtually every day there’s a story about a lawyer going off the rails in one way or another. The most common is having unauthorised dips into clients money held on trust, which is why I’ve argued for decades for law degrees to include units in prison library management, given so many end up there.

But the law practitioners are mere pikers compared to the medical profession, whose specialist forte is murdering their patients.

That’s a recurring practise down through the ages, recounted in numerous books.

The latest one has just been revealed in Germany and the investigators are suggesting the death toll may be as high as 40.

But in fairness, who can blame them? The problem for doctors is they make their career decision, of necessity when mere youths and only wake up to their appalling choice when it’s too late to do anything about it, thus murdering their patients is an understandable, indeed logical reaction.

Currently 60% of British GPs want out but are financially hamstrung. I don’t doubt that’s the situation everywhere else.

Lawyers and doctors going off the rails in one way or another, is so common-place I’m surprised the media bother reporting it.

What would be newsworthy is say an accountant running amok but alas, they lack the necessary verve and initiative.

Of all the professions the most immoral and dishonest by a country mile is journalism, furthermore as surveys constantly show, the public intuitively sense that.

I have some sympathy as the nature of their activity is essentially that of a spectator on life, thus the inevitable frustration of this bystander role leads to temptation into creativity and making it all up.

All of that said, anyone who’s lived long enough and dealt across the board activity-wise, would unhesitantly opt for the company of lawyers and journoes over all the other professions, unless they have a freakishly high boredom threshold.

Sir Bob Jones is a renowned author, columnist , property investor, and former politician, who blogs at No Punches Pulled HERE - where this article was sourced.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's true that lawyers and doctors often "go off the rails" but when that happens there are consequences. There seem to be no consequences for Judge Aitken so obviously what she did cannot be considered to be out of the ordinary. All she did was to disclose the underlying thoughts, attitudes and biases that she and other judges have. That explains the weird, woke decisions that have recently been coming out of the courts.

anonymous said...

Arrogance . They are now 10 a penny. Law has been the new Arts for years. But the smart ones deal with the big remuneration issues ( corporate, divorce, mega -crime, Treaty). The demise of a once honourable profession.

Anonymous said...

In reading the opine by Sir Robert, I gather he would have liked Minister Judith Collins, to something more practical (suggestions - being constrained in the stocks; public flogging; to the more extreme public execution by burning at the stake [there are many of the NZ Legal Profession who would be applicable for this " award "] ).
But The Dear Minister when it came to Justice Aitken, will
place her in the same category as
- the Capt. of a recently sunk RNZ Naval vessel,
- in that Justice Aitken is female, Feminism prevails (for Judith) and like the Navy Capt, with Justice Aitken " no lives were lost in the verbal confrontation with Winnie".
My advice to The Minister, when such incidents occur again and you " present yourself to the Media in Parliament" - that your verbal statement to them should be -
1/- " I have written to said person and asked for an explanation.."
2/ - not " I am writing to... "

> big difference between both,

2/- which implies maybe/could do/ will consider/ will consult / will think about it, whereas
1/- implies " action/ a written epistle / will put the 'fear of GOD into them / not acceptable etc ".
Or 3/- " Said person has been stood down, until a satisfactory response and course of remedial action has been placed before ... " - to ensure that such incidents DO NOT re-occur.
To me this has " a positive ring/spin/action plan ".
Whether it will deter "future stupidity" - probably not.

Don said...

Going off the rails is not confined to lawyers and doctors, people "of the cloth" are well represented in that genre. especially priests. And what of "self-made" entrepreneurs? We are only human.

ross meurant said...

Nay not say a little in many words but a great deal in a few. Pythagoras
"Your fired"

Anonymous said...

" Bloody Hell " Meurant do you have to be so verbose, a simple statement would have sufficed?
Oh Ross, can we get " your mate Pythagoras" to work at the Min. of Justice??
Such a elegant " turn of phrase" might be what many Legal Eagles need to hear! - including some KC's.