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Certainly, in
recent years some English and Australian judges have shown an increased
willingness to condemn from the bench legal drafting that is convoluted and
unclear. Epithets heaped upon offending clauses have included
"botched"17, "half-baked"18,
"cobbled-together"19, "doubtful"20,
"tortuous"21, "archaic"22, "incomprehensible legal
gobbledegook"23, and "singularly inelegant"24. (If I may
be allowed some free advertising: you will find these and other examples in
Butt and Castle, Modern Legal Drafting, Cambridge University Press,
2001, chapter 2.)
|
17.
|
Re
Gulbenkian's Settlement [1970] AC 508 at 517 (Lord Reid). |
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18.
|
Alghussein
Establishment v Eton College [1988] 1 WLR 587, HL. |
|
19.
|
The
Alexion Hope [1988] 1 Lloyd's Rep 311 at 320, CA (Purchas
LJ). |
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20.
|
Overseas
Union Insurance Ltd v AA Mutual International Insurance Co Ltd [1988] 2
Lloyd's Rep 63 at 69 (Evans J). |
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21.
|
London
Regional Transport v Wimpey Group Services Ltd (1987) 2 EGLR 41 (Hoffmann
J). |
|
22.
|
Trafalgar
House Construction (Regions) Ltd v General Surety & Guarantee Co Ltd
[1995] 3 WLR 204 at 212 (Lord Jauncey of Tullichettle). |
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23.
|
Houlahan v
Australian and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (1992) 110 FLR
259. |
|
24.
|
NSW Rifle
Association v Commonwealth of Australia, unreported, New South Wales Court
of Appeal, 15 August 1997, Powell JA. |
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