Journal of Politics and Law; Vol. 6, No. 3; 2013 ISSN 1913-9047 E-ISSN 1913-9055 Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education Modernising the English Court System - Time for a Gastric Band Graham S McBain1 1 Solicitor. MA (Cantab), LLB (Cantab), LLM (Harv). Open Scholar, Peterhouse, Cambridge. Fulbright Scholar, Harvard Law School. UK Correspondence: Graham S McBain, 21 Millmead Terrace, Guildford, Surrey GU2 4AT, UK. E-mail:
[email protected] Received: March 11, 2013 Accepted: April 23, 2013 Online Published: August 30, 2013 doi:10.5539/jpl.v6n3p17 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/jpl.v6n3p17 Abstract There is a lot in the newspapers these days about human obesity and its detrimental effect on human health - as well as on the health budget. Indeed, statistics suggest that one in five adults in the United Kingdom is now clinically obese. What applies to human beings can also apply to human institutions and it is asserted that our legal system is clinically obese. It needs a gastric band. Why is our legal system clinically obese ? First, the volume of English primary - and subordinate - legislation is growing exponentially 1 and, at this rate, it will start to become like that of the United States. Thus, it needs to be curtailed since the direct - and indirect - cost of all this is huge.2 Second, the present court system dates from the Victorian era and it creaks. Distinctly. In what way? There are too many obsolete courts; There are too many courts which - while not obsolete – should be merged with others; The court system is replete with anomalies and there are too many jurisdictional and procedural issues; The domestic court structure is a four tier system - when it should only be three tier; The complexity of the court system is such that it is not understood by lawyers -far less by the general public.