Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 05.pdf/548

 The Hall of Four Courts.

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he learns many things. He discovers that the table rise tier above tier small pens, in a revising barristership in esse is worth a which sit the various counsel engaged in judgeship in posse. Like Richard Abinger, the case, who pore over huge briefs, and are he writes for newspapers while waiting to ostentatiously indifferent to the arguments be made Lord Chancellor, or reports the of "m' learned friend," now, after an hour's cases which he may not plead. Or he be discoursing, getting into the thread of his comes a standing mystery to his acquaint argument. Then come the juniors and such ance, who " wonder how on earth he lives," members of the bar as have chosen this par and forget to ask him to dinner. ticular court in which to spend the morning. But there are many Lastly, high up at the prizes, all offering a back of the court is good position and an the gallery reserved enticing lack of work. for the spectators, which may be empty And for these there is or cramped as the always a fair field and case is dull or attrac no favor. Many a tive to the lay mind. coatless back has Of all the courts donned in later years the Queen's Bench the ermine of a judge, and Nisi Prius are by and under the fullfar the most interest bottomed wig may be ing. When the Court hidden a pate which of Chancery is attrac once went bare to the tive, it is by favor of roughest wind. the bench. It is good It has been said by to see Lord Ashan Irish jurist that bourne and Lord Jus the business of the American courts is not tice Fitzgibbon pitted one against the other much disturbed by formality. Nowadays in an Appeal case, while Lord Justice the formality of the Barry gives his opin Irish courts, is not ion in strong language much disturbed by THE RIGHT HON. SIR PETER О BRIEN. business. As in Eng Lord Chief Justice of Ireland. and to the point. For land, the interiors are the Lord Justice lives not imposing, and there is the same impres in extremis, and is in a perpetual state of sion of cramped space and some dinginess. amazement either at the effrontery of the The single exception is the Bankruptcy appellant or the appalling ignorance of the Court, whose whitewashed walls and bright court below. interior are a happy omen to those who seek It is in the Common Law courts that the real human interest lies. There one may its services. The fittings and appurtenances of each hear the typical Irish wit; there the hostile are much the same. In front of the Judges' witness is butchered to make a Dublin holi bench, with its canopy and stand of Royal day, and the " gods " enjoy the spectacle of Arms, is the solicitors' table. To one end of a good man struggling with a cross-examiner. this is fastened (in the Common Law courts) The Nisi Prius leader is always sure of an the arm-chair which takes the place of the audience; and to this we may put down that witness-box in an English court. Beyond discursive eloquence sometimes heard there