Storm in a tea-cup?

The current spat between the judges and the Government may seem a little childish, but what is really behind it? I think the Judiciary have for some time been annoyed and concerned at what they have seen as Government interference with their independence, and with some justification. This Government is not the first to find an independent judiciary a pain, and something they would rather not have to deal with, but what I think has brought matters to a head over recent years is the fact that the current Lord Chancellor is seen as far more of a political animal than any of his predecessors, and the judges therefore feel that they have nobody prepared to speak for them and champion their views, and as we know, when any group of people with clout feel ignored and put-upon, there's likely to be trouble. The office of Lord Chancellor has always been a tricky balancing act, but I fear that Lord Falconer isn't making a very good job of it.