Not last drinks, but a sobering tale for the Bar

There used to be a drinking establishment just across the road from London's Central Criminal Court. It was called The Bar.

The pun was intended. Many of the punters who frequented this popular watering hole were members of the legal profession, barristers among them. It was often lamented - not entirely in jest - that the court's public announcement system could not be extended to the pub.

If such a service had been available then lawyers, police officers, and other interested parties (including court reporters) would have known when a jury was returning. Drinks could be put down - or downed - and everyone could be back in court in time for the appearance of the judge.

Surprisingly, perhaps, during my many years at the Old Bailey, I do not remember an occasion when a barrister's partaking of pre-court drinks rendered him or her incapable of performing once back in their wig and gown.

Whether the consumption of alcohol hindered the barristers' ability to present their case or enhanced it - as our Bar Association chairman, Edward Chan King-sang, suggests is possible - is difficult to say. What is certain is that drinking while on duty is not off-limits to lawyers. The same applies in many other professions.

The relationship between the bottle and the Bar is well known. The fictional Rumpole of the Bailey favoured Chateau Thames Embankment. In Hong Kong, it has been a tradition for judges to take lawyers to the Hong Kong Club for drinks while waiting for a jury to conclude its deliberations.