Dumbing down in the courts

Inevitably enough, I suppose, with my vestigial interest in law, I am a frequent visitor to The Law West of Ealing Broadway which is without doubt the best blogging insight into the day to day work of the English legal system. I take a strange comfort from the fact that the government is not just dumbing down the NHS. It is happening to the legal system as well:

We then dealt with a few committals to the Crown Court, that were put before us because we had a proper Crown Prosecutor, rather than the Designated Case Worker who was in the Remand Court. DCWs can't do committals, at least not yet, but as the system continues to dumb down and take the cheap option I expect that these 'Lawyer-Lite' types (soon to be renamed 'Associate Prosecutors') will end up doing everything that qualified lawyers now do, at least in the lower courts. (A Mixed Day)

And then he takes a look at the likely impact of the new laws that are about to criminalise clairvoyants who fail to note on their advertisements that their services 'are not subject to scientific proof'.

"Madame Arcati, you have been convicted of preying upon stupid and gullible people by purporting to see into the future, and to communicate with the dead, without warning them in writing that your art is tosh".
"But Sir, that's what we of the spiritual trade have been doing for centuries. Surely the stupid and gullible should be allowed their illusions?"
"And another thing, Sir: If I am to be punished for this, what about the Vicar? He can't prove his claims any more then poor little I can. What about wrinkle cream makers? What about 72 virgins? Or those gadgets that make your car do 77 mpg, and all for twenty quid? It's not fair, sir, it ain't". (I can't wait)

Joy, pure joy.