It’s easy to score cheap points off the arcane practices of the Bar but, glancing at news of the fast-shrinking application numbers in this year’s silk round, I won’t let that stop me.

The figures released today (16 May) show that the numbers of hopefuls ready to this year stump up £3,500 is 247, substantially down on last year’s 333. This is also down on the 443 applications received in the first year of the reformed, supposedly self-funding award.