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Bar, actually as well as officially, which means that
If he is not, he would be briefed in all heavy cases.
and only falls into a secondary position, his prestige as Law Officer of the Crown would be seriously prejudiced, and this would be detrimental to the Govern-ment in many ways. It is better that he should only appear in Government cases, and for the rest that his reputation should rest on the ignotum pro magnifico maxim.
3.
By putting it even on a lower plane and assuming that he is only engaged occasionally, it would only be in big cases, because his fees would naturally be high.
Now a big case here lasts at least 3 days in Court; often more. I do not believe that he could attend effectively to Government work while he had even one heavy case on hand, for a case requires a vast amount of preparation, and many conferences with solicitors; and while the case was being heard he would be continuously absent from his Chambers during the best Government business during working hours of the day.
that time would have to be completely put on one side in the interests of the private client.
Then again his necessary attendances at the Councils might clash with the hearing in Court; the Court always arranges business so as to suit the Attorney General's convenience when a Government case is being heard, but it would be most objectionable to the parties as well as to the Court to have to do this when a private suit was being heard.
Referring to the extract from the Committee's report annexed to Your Excellency's letter, I notice that
4.