The day my father-in-law issued a writ against Rupert Murdoch

...and here's an image of the writ he served on one Keith Rupert Murdoch.

My father-in-law isn't a lawyer. He's a retired civil servant, who had an interest in Technology Consulting. And he felt he had a grievance over a paper he'd written. He couldn't get anyone at Sky to respond to his calls or letters. So he did what he always does when faced with a problem.

He bought a book.

In this case he went to a bookshop on Chancery Lane. I don't know which book he bought but I imagine it was called something like 'Writing and Serving a Writ, For Dummies'.

He then spent two days trolling round The Royal Courts of Justice, asking questions, paying court fees and getting endless stamps put on the form. And then he submitted it, with a second writ against Sky TV.

After doing this, everything got sorted out amicably very quickly indeed, with (as I believe it is always traditional to say at this juncture) no liability conceded on either side.

So when I now read that The Guardian taking on News Corp is like David taking on Goliath, I just laugh. No, my father in law taking on Murdoch and Sky TV, that's David vs. Goliath.

If only a few more politicians over recent years had shown similar levels of backbone.

My father-in-law; our hero.

Addendum

The solicitor who responded to the writ was Anthony Julius, who of course later acted for Princess Diana in 'the divorce of the century'. After everything was resolved, he rather sweetly asked my father-in-law who had assisted him with writing the writ, as it was very well put together. I'm willing to bet he wasn't expecting to hear 'Oh I couldn't afford a lawyer so I did it all myself'..

For the record, my father in law says Anthony Julius is an extremely courteous man!