Sunday 17 July 2011

Justice Delayed Is Justice … Well, Who’s Up For A Swim?

The robbery trial of the man who murdered head teacher Philip Lawrence in west London in 1995 has collapsed, due to a series of delays.
Oh? The Beeb – strangely – neglects to describe them:
Hold-ups in the case meant it could not conclude at Blackfriars Crown Court, central London, in the available time, the Crown Prosecution Service said.
So, it seems there’s a fixed slot, and if it misses this slot, it must wait for the next one?

Is this a trial or an airplane? And why won’t the Beeb elaborate?

Well, luckily for us, the ‘Mirror’ fills in a few more details:
A judge yesterday abandoned the robbery trial of headteacher Philip Lawrence’s killer – partly because it meant he would miss his summer holiday.
Ah.
It was already delayed for a funeral and because a work experience student had approached a juror.
/facepalm
The judge also revealed he had a holiday booked.
He told the jury: “It occurs that courts schedule cases for a week or two and they take five…that is not fair to you.
Yes, I’m sure you’re thinking only of them

18 comments:

Mike said...

I can't decide if I should have my joint now or wait until tea time, suggestions please.....

Angry Exile said...

It's a robbery trial. You should expect hold ups.


Badoom tish.

Mike said...

A guy walks into a sperm donor bank wearing a ski mask and holding a gun. He goes up to the nurse and demands her to open the sperm bank vault. She says "But sir, its just a sperm bank!", "I don't care, open it now!!!" he replies. So she opens the door to the vault and inside are all the sperm samples. The guy says "Take one of those sperm samples and drink it!", she looks at him "BUT, they are sperm samples???" , "DO IT!". So the nurse sucks it back. "That one there, drink that one as well.", so the nurse drinks that one as well. Finally after 4 samples the man takes off his ski mask and says, "See honey - its not that hard."

Shinar's Basket Case said...

The 'quirkyness', for want of a better word, is what makes the British Justice System work...even if it doesn't work particularly well.

Our judges are supposed to be HUMAN not Euro-Automatrons or , as the Ameritards do it, political puppets.

We need judges who are just senile enough not to care what politicians think of them or their decisions.

True justice is found in judgments such as "Defendant you've been found guilty of a most heinous crime and normally you would go to prison for a long time BUT as you're hideously ginger you have been punished enough and therefore I shall suspend the sentence"

*gravel bangs*

or like the case J00lz posted about yesterday, where the Appeal Court Judges let those footballers free despite the law being quite clear that a 12 year old can't consent.

Anonymous said...

I've referred Mike's joke to my public relations people to ask if I'm permitted to laugh - apparently not. These are the same people who tell me it's OK to take generous hospitality from News International and kip in an expensive health spa while I'm securing the country against crime and terrorism.
Sir Paul Stephenson

The vile blagger is getting a retrial. What's your problem Julia - not getting enough freebies yourself?

Mike said...

OMG that was just possibly the best joint I made and enjoyed in a long time ;)

Mike said...

and to clarify, excuse the pun, roast not smoked ;)

Mike said...

I give up Twitter today, too many twits wanting to follow me, anyone know who Bieber is?!?

RAB said...

He told the jury: “It occurs that courts schedule cases for a week or two and they take five…that is not fair to you.”

Not if the Listing Officers are doing their job properly they don't.

I used to be the Assistant Listing Officer in Bristol Crown Court, and we not only knew almost within half a day when a Trial would finish, we also had back up cases scheduled to slot in at the last minute in case a Defendant pleaded guilty at the Court door.

Still no real harm done. Re-trial ordered. The case hasn't slipped down the back of Justice's sofa after all.

Captain Haddock said...

And precisely what, I wonder would have been the Judge's reaction to a request from a witness or juror for a delay or adjournment because the trial conflicted with their summer holiday ?

Surely Judges employ clerks (or whatever) to maintain their professional diaries ?

Surely its the job of those clerks to ensure that nothing foreseeable (such as a holiday or pre-planned medical treatment etc) will interfere with cases due for hearing by their particular Judge ?

And if they do, to refer the matter, in plenty of time, to the appropriate authority, so that the case may be re-allocated ..

blueknight said...

Thanks Mike, I am glad it wasn't the one about the woman queuing up at the door of a building, to be told it was a Sperm Bank and she, pulling her knickers out of her handbag, replied, "Yes I'm here to cash a cheque......

Anyway, Chindarmo.Anyone think he didn't do it?

Mike said...

A man with a gun goes into a bank and demands their money. Once he is given the money, he turns to a customer and asks, “Did you see me rob this bank?”

The man replied, “Yes sir, I did.”

The robber then shot him in the temple, killing him instantly. He then turned to a couple standing next and asked the man, “Did you see me rob this bank?”

The man replied, “No sir, I didn’t, BUT MY WIFE DID.”

Mike said...

@allcoppedout Sir Paul Stephenson is two up with Rebbeka having resigned his post as Met police commissioner. lol

Anonymous said...

Maybe it's three-up with AP's holidaying judge Mike? Roast me a joint mate - been a long day. I'm just watching Theresa May reading an obvious auto-cue response to that dreadful coot who had been running the Met.

JuliaM said...

"It's a robbery trial. You should expect hold ups."

*groan*

" Finally after 4 samples the man takes off his ski mask and says, "See honey - its not that hard.""

Heh! That's a pretty good one.

"The vile blagger is getting a retrial. What's your problem Julia..."

The waste of public money this involves, perhaps?

"And precisely what, I wonder would have been the Judge's reaction to a request from a witness or juror for a delay or adjournment because the trial conflicted with their summer holiday ?"

Mmmm, I wonder...

JuliaM said...

"Anyway, Chindarmo.Anyone think he didn't do it?"

Innocent until proven guilty, and all that. All I can say is if I'd been Home Sec, he wouldn't have had the opportunity!

" I'm just watching Theresa May reading an obvious auto-cue response to that dreadful coot who had been running the Met."

According to the Beeb news this morning, it's a terrible blow to the Met, as he 'united warring factions from Ian Blair's reign' which I think might come as a surprise to the regulars at Gadget's!

Anonymous said...

I did see the 'public interest' aspect Julia and was sure you had. Pity no newspaper is offering you chance to do your stuff on 'Baldy's' resignation confabulation.

Mike said...

@ allcoppedout regulars here can all come round for a nice roast with all the trimmings. Especialy cus I'm moving to Canada in the next few weeks. Putting on a big din dins is one of the things I'm quite pleased I do very well.

Funny how the simple things are lost on most but so very satisfying ;)