When it finally came, the resolution by the Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer, of the long-running battle over the future of the silk system had all the hallmarks of a great big fudge. That, and a hefty dose of buck-passing.

For a start, Falconer managed to come up with a formula that appeared to satisfy both the two main warring parties – the Bar Council, arch-advocate of the system, and its main opponent, the Law Society.