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PMQs & the art of advocacy

04 June 2020 / John Cooper KC
Issue: 7889 / Categories: Features , Profession
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Watching Johnson v Starmer at the dispatch box is fascinating, says John Cooper QC

Many of you will have noted a distinct change in style as to the way Boris Johnson (pictured left) is questioned at Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) and it is fair to say that every person brings their own approach to this important opportunity, designed to extract information, clarity and transparency in respect of the Prime Minister’s conduct of affairs.

The concept of asking the Prime Minister questions in the House of Commons was first introduced in 1881 under the office of William Gladstone as Prime Minister, and in 1961 the process was updated with questions to the PM being taken for two fixed periods on a Tuesday and Thursday with the very first question addressed to Harold Macmillan by Labour’s Fenner Brockway, who began on the 18 July 1961 with: ‘May I express our appreciation of this new arrangement for answering questions and hope that it will be convenient for the Prime Minister as

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Gilson Gray—Linda Pope

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NEWS
The landmark Supreme Court’s decision in Johnson v FirstRand Bank Ltd—along with Rukhadze v Recovery Partners—redefine fiduciary duties in commercial fraud. Writing in NLJ this week, Mary Young of Kingsley Napley analyses the implications of the rulings
Barristers Ben Keith of 5 St Andrew’s Hill and Rhys Davies of Temple Garden Chambers use the arrest of Simon Leviev—the so-called Tinder Swindler—to explore the realities of Interpol red notices, in this week's NLJ
Mazur v Charles Russell Speechlys [2025] has upended assumptions about who may conduct litigation, warn Kevin Latham and Fraser Barnstaple of Kings Chambers in this week's NLJ. But is it as catastrophic as first feared?
Lord Sales has been appointed to become the Deputy President of the Supreme Court after Lord Hodge retires at the end of the year
Limited liability partnerships (LLPs) are reportedly in the firing line in Chancellor Rachel Reeves upcoming Autumn budget
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