Exclusive: Lobster-loving barrister disappears from Hardwicke Chambers
22 March 2013
A barrister of more than 40 years' call has suddenly disappeared from Hardwicke Chambers.

Simon Buckhaven seems an interesting chap. Since qualifying in 1970 he has built a successful career in Family, Private Client and Professional Negligence. However he seems to have spent much of his spare time caring for lobsters. After years of research he came up with a lobster stun gun as a humane alternative to boiling the animals alive: in 2004 he told a parliamentary select committee that "until now there has been no electronic method of dealing with crabs, lobsters and crayfish. We have it now. We know it works".

Buckhaven with a lobster - how it might have looked

Which is more than can be said for Buckhaven. He has left Chambers, all mention of him has been removed from the website, and his set won't pass on any contact details. A spokesman said that "we have no comment to make on Mr Buckhaven’s departure the details of which are confidential".

And that is where this story must end as Hardwicke Chambers instructed Lewis Silkin to threaten RollOnFriday with an injunction if it said anything more. Well, they worked so well for Ryan Giggs, Andrew Marr and "Sir" Fred Goodwin after all.