Jonathan Black makes his courthouse appearance

Courtroom 111 at Toronto’s Old City Hall at 9 a.m. on a Monday is a scene straight out of Dickens. The room is jammed to the rafters with criminal lawyers, their clients, various levels of legal bureaucracy, overstuffed file folders and other assorted hangers-on (i.e., me). In the midst of this cattle call was the case of Her Majesty vs. Jonathan Black—one of three heirs to what’s left of Lord Black’s fortune. In a short, sharp exchange between the court and young Black’s representative, the case was held over until May 26.

The one detail of note is that the person standing up for Jonathan Black on this occasion was Chris O’Conner. O’Conner is, among other things, employed at the firm of Greenspan, White (yes, that Greenspan) and beau to his Lordship’s only distaff progeny, Alana.

I could reprise the ironies in all this (Steyn vs. Greenspan vs. Amiel), but, dear reader, if you’ve followed me this far, you’ve got it all in one go. One assumes young O’Conner is still squiring Alana and that in all matters—including the criminal bar—love conquers all.