Duty and Customs Column

In times past the summer was traditionally a dead period for journalism. Little happened that was newsworthy. The higher courts until recently sat but rarely. Even today our political masters return to their constituencies where according to taste they work for their constituents or go on holiday. The schools and universities are on vacation. All over Europe and North America the populations are concerned with how to spend their time away from the workplace while the summer break is taken. In newspaper offices this once was known as the 'man bites dog' season as editors cast around desperately for news items to sustain their readers.

But the 21st century has broken this mould....