‘It’s a sad day for freedom of speech and the court’s decision has deprived the public of a valuable warning system.’ This was Rick Kordowski’s response a decade ago to the High Court order to remove his website, ‘Solicitors from Hell’ from the internet. The internet had long been styled ‘the wild west’, and the Law Society decided it was time to put on its sheriff’s badge and clean up this bit of the web. The society’s then chief executive Des Hudson headed to court with a posse that included leading QC Hugh Tomlinson. ‘This website,’ Hudson said, ‘has served simply as a vehicle for pursuing personal grudges and vendettas against conscientious and reputable firms and legal professionals.’