I read on the front cover of this weeks Gazette that the Department for Constitutional Affairs ("DCA") is to lay off at least 1,300 staff by the end of March next year, around a thousand of which will go from the Courts Service. Well, that's certainly going to do a lot to improve the chronic delays in the courts system. I was particularly interested in a quote from Alex Allan, permanent secretary to the DCA, who said "in some parts of the business we may need to invite volunteers for early departure schemes". I wasn't aware that the Courts Service was a business - call me old-fashioned, but I thought it was a public service. They'll be selling shares next (although I don't think I'll be buying) ...