A Canadian judge has ruled that a police officer does not have to remove his gun in court just because a lawyer is scared.

The lawyer, Sheldon Goldberg from Vancouver, had practised for over forty years and must have seen plenty of guns in his time as Canadian police routinely carry firearms in court. But in a recent case he was so intimidated he couldn't even bring himself to question the cop, and filed a petition asking for the gun to be removed.

When the judge asked him why he was afraid, Goldberg said that it could be because he'd just read a series of James Bond novels and was worried about the policeman's "licence to kill".

So many weapon jokes, so little time

An incredulous judge thought Goldberg was joking at first, but when he realised that he wasn't, suggested that Goldberg "reconsider whether this is a road that he wants to go on". After further discussion, he said that if Goldberg was too scared to answer questions that was his problem and that his concerns had no basis in reality.

Goldberg's performance is now under review by the Law Society of British Columbia, where a mysterious Mr Blofeld is thought (by Goldberg) to be leading the investigation.