The Kalisher Lecture 2009: Developments in Crown Court Advocacy

The Lord Chief Justice looked at advocacy as the art of persuasion, and the changes in style during and since his own career at the Bar.

“What has changed in the technique of advocacy? Trying to think of a way to describe it, perhaps I can, even at the risk of a very broad generalisation, express it in this way: the rapier is no longer the weapon of first choice: this is much more likely to be the bludgeon or the boot. If I am right, why should this be?”