Since I last wrote about the emerging issues with implementation of the QLR regime I have continued to receive ridiculous emails on a regular basis, in spite of having provided my contact details ONLY for the purposes of bookings at courts local to me. It’s getting a bit ridiculous now. I wasn’t going to write about it again, but they’re even spamming my inbox on a Sunday afternoon for goodness sakes.
Here is the original post :
I don’t have time or energy to do any analysis or to craft a proper rant so I note the following without comment. You may draw your own conclusions.
Since the end of March I have received:
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46 requests from Bournemouth for QLRs, almost all attended hearings, some trials, some PTR/GRHs
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11 requests from Southampton
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5 requests from Truro (some long fixtures, double handers)
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and last week, in a new expansion of range, a request from Newcastle
Bournemouth is streaks ahead on volume, but Newcastle gets the prize for the most comically optimistic request – for TWO QLRs for an 8 day trial with no dates. I mean, it’s practically irresistible.
An alarming number of these emails still contain the names of the parties, and they have on occasion shown the unfortunate recipients of the emails in the cc line too. It is clear that HMCTS, having been given our contact details for one purpose (QLR work in one locality) have passed them around to all the poor desperate court managers who are now firing off emails at all times of the day and night, on weekends and weekdays to advocates at the opposite end of the country. There may *cough* be a number of data protection issues here.
Quite what the courts between the southernmost coasts and corners of England and the tippy top of the North East are doing is anyone’s guess. Are they not appointing QLRs? Do they have a secret supply of them? Are they just getting round the problem by listing everything in 2026 by which point someone will have worked out an answer? Or maybe they’ve decided if they don’t hear any evidence they don’t need QLRs.
Well, I didn’t manage it quite without comment it seems, but anyway I have to go off and do something less boring instead now.