PAST TIPLO EVENT:

Chaired by: Chancery Master Nicolas Bragge

Presentation and debate led by: His Honour Judge Birss, Lord Glennie and Mr Justice Kelly

The recent June evening meeting of TIPLO held at inner Temple on 7th June 2011 did not engage itself with a particularly “punchy” or exciting title. Indeed, members and guests may have had more than a small degree of trepidation in advance of the event when they read that the panel of speakers would regale on the topic of - “Case Management of IP litigation Within the British Isles – The New Regimes”.

The bare title was almost redolent of an exam essay question, and many of us wondered what new gems could be uncovered by such an apparently well-known subject. But those doubters amongst us were delighted to be proved wrong! Seldom have TIPLO members and guests enjoyed such a stimulating and riveting journey through the legal highways and by-ways, with a most engaging, expert and entertaining panel of speakers. Under the guidance of our very own “Master of Case Management”, Chancery Master Nicolas Bragge who kindly chaired the event, His Honour Judge Birss spoke of his innovative initiatives to streamline and simplify cases in the Patents County Court. Lord Glennie of the Scottish Court of Sessions (and former leading barrister of the commercial bar based in chambers in London) opened our eyes to the “highways” to justice in his court, and last (but by no means least) Mr Justice Kelly of the High Court of Ireland regaled us with a most informative account of his installation of a wholly updated commercial court system for higher value commercial cases and all intellectual property matters.

It is impossible to distil into this short report a full account of the myriad matters covered by the three speakers and our most experienced chairman. However, there follows an account of some of the more “headline” matters that were discussed, and suffice to say that a lively series of questions ran on for a considerable period of time after the speakers had ended their formal address. So engaged was he by the discussion that Mr Justice Arnold joined in as an “impromptu” panel member to deal with certain matters germane to the High Court under his jurisdiction.