Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-04-25
Special Correspondence.

Special Correspondence.
v ONDON, April 15.--Law In any
country is costly luxury, but
probably there is no country In
the world where it is more
costly than in England. The Eng
fish litigant may congratulate him
self that he gets a very fair article for
his money, but he has 20 pay heavily
for 1t.
There is now being heard in tho
Kings Bench court in London SUIT
which may fairly be said TO hold the
record for cost and tediousness. 1t Is
estimated that IL will take 30 days to
try and that it viii cost 100000. Tie
nominal sum involved Is only $780,
coo, 50 that law in this case seems
somewhat an expensive luxury, but, or
course. there are far larger Interests
ultimately involved. The case Is that
Of ''Wyler and others VS.. Lewis and
others" and II concerns certain con-
ccssiJns in East Africa. Four king
counsel and four junior counsel. two
of each on each side are engaged, ana
a host OF solicitors have had II share
of the fees. 4 kings counsel and a
junior counsel are also engaged watch
ing tiis case fer a financier whose IN
tereSt IN the decision IL oHiy SVlIol-
eral
BILL or COSTS.
II is estimated that $4,000 was
spent in the preparation of the case,
and that the cOunse.s retalners
amounted 10 S27500 Then there are
the daily "refreshers" for counsel
which, II is estimated. will amount be-
fore the case is over. TO SS2,200. The
cost OF reporting the case Is estimat-
ed AT $3.50. ana the 1ury's fees VIII
amount to s1,75O. In addition to this
there Is the cost of witnesses. There
are 80 of them, and some OF them
mad to be brought from Africa and
some from Portugal. and they viii have
TO lie maintained while they arc IN
England and compensated FOR their
loss of time.
The documents I'm the case are so
voluminous that the court has not
large enough accommodation 70 hold
them and n special room in the Law
Courts building had to be iitted up as
n library, and set aside for them.
There staff of clerks Is at work all
day sorting and classifying them. as
they are called for by counsel IN the
case. and are returned after use in
court
Nothing could better illustrate tbs
difference between American and
llngish legal practice than this case.
In America there might be Il couple
OF eminent lawyers engaged on each
side, but "a case Of this kind would be
quickly disposed Of ana most az the
real business would be done in confer
enCp between the lawyers and their
clients In this case, as In every 9TH
ar English lawsuit the lawyers who
actually try the case probably never
saw their clients until they met In
court and even after the case ~ FIN
isbcd IL Is quite possible that they
hUg" never spoken 10 them except Ia
address the formal questions In court
when he clients occupied the witness
box.
SOLICITORS AND BARRlsTERs.
Tpe dual system which sim sur
wives iu English law practise Is re-
sIOnslblc for this absurdity English
lawyers, ~ course, are divided into
two classes, barristers ana solicitors.
Nhe solicitor IL the man who must be
IppU, ached By the clients and on
whom deNolyes all the heavy work In
the preparation of the care for trial.
Vet tho solicitor who has the case at
his fingers ends Is not allowed 20 say
"a wcrd in the higher courts. He
must brief a harrister to do this and
etiquette forbids a barrister TO have
anything 10 say 20 the lltigant VINO
h pIAing his fee except through the
medium Of the solicitor II the case
rs an important one, he must have
an least one kings counsel, The
l.ings counsel are the senior mem
bers OF the bar, and they are dis