Tudor,
The scalpel analogy was indeed a quick and perhaps ill thought-out reply, which is partly why I modified it to that of your Head of Chambers.
No, you don’t need to be a pilot to express a view on the broad issues (your words) of the case, but I do think that you need to be one to express a view on the specifics of this particular case.
It is not within our gift to pass judgement nor indeed comment as to whether Jessica was right to conceive and give birth to a child; that is entirely her own business and clearly none of us on this board (pilots or otherwise) should even be questioning that right but yet many do seem to think that they can. . . Apart from this, many others feel that they have the right to comment on the fact that British Airways sponsored this lady and how many thousands of other people would be lucky to have had such an opportunity and what a waste that is. . . again, this is a matter for her and her alone. But then we get to the people who feel that a part-time pilot is far more dangerous than a full time pilot. When I was flying fast-jets for the RAF I flew far less hours than I do now as a commercial pilot, (infact probably about the same as a part-time BA pilot) was I unsafe then? It is this level of understanding that I question that you need to be a pilot to comments on the SPECIFICS of the case.
As a barrister, you are protected by the Bar Council (please feel free to correct me if I’m wrong as I’m not a barrister) but as I understand it, the worse case scenario is that if you are found guilty of Professional Misconduct or are found to have provided Inadequate Professional Services you are only required to repay your fees (up to £5000) and say sorry. . . . As yet, barristers have not been subject to the level of ‘dumbing-down’ that we have seen in our profession (i.e. where everyone feels that they are an expert and could do a better job than those of us trained to do so) and it is in this respect that I make no excuse for sticking up for my colleagues.
It’s late, and I need to go to bed; there are poor, unsuspecting souls who need to flown around by an 'arrogant
' such as I tomorrow and I need my sleep, because, if I screw up, I’ll need your services and you and I may just be on the same side for once. . . .
BH