Friday, 12 August 2011

One Advantage Of The Riots…

…it’s made the justice system creak into an arthritic trot, if not a gallop:
Three of London's magistrates' courts said they would remain open through the night in an unprecedented effort to cope with the stream of suspected rioters.
Which came as a bit of a surprise.
At Highbury, one prosecuting lawyer, who asked not to be named, said: "Lawyers are used to working into the night but I've never seen this. These are very freaky times."
And no doubt very profitable times, if you’re billing by the hour…
At one point yesterday, three custody vans waited outside holding defendants because the court's cells were full.

"Those of us in the court had no tea breaks," said Alison Saunders, Chief Crown Prosecuting Lawyer for London, who worked from 8.30pm on Monday until dawn the next day. "All I had was a bottle of water to get me through. There are a lot of sleepy lawyers in court but they worked extremely hard."
It’s about bloody time.

10 comments:

  1. Magistrate: Before sentencing, have you anything to tell this court which might explain your role in the riots?

    Darcus: Me want eighty fousand pahnd a week to be a DJ/Selecta or a barbah, me want a Bee Emm Dubble-yew, and me want a big 'ouse and some bitches ya feel me, and a latta ganja yeh. but me don't want to lern nuffing or werk 'ard at school yeh! cos dem teechas is pussies yeh dey can't tell me wat to do yeh?
    So becaus eme can't get no job like dat and me need food in me belly me going out to loot and ting yeh cos I'm a black man innit and it is my right yeh. an it all de white man fault because ma african brovvers was taken up into slavery and all dat an everyting. still de imperialistic polcies are here in Brixton an Tottenham an all dem places yeh.

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  2. In a massive crackdown unprecedented in recent times, the courts issued a flurry of £50 fixed penalty notices, sending a clear signal that the State woild no longer tolerate such behaviour.

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  3. "Those of us in the court had no tea breaks,"

    I say, steady on there! Well Really!

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  4. Don't think those particular Lawyers will be billing by the hour ..

    From what I understand, they were from the CPS .. and others from the same organisation were (if reports are to be believed) sent out with Police patrols, to provide "on-the-spot" charging advice ..

    Good to see the Criminal Protection Service & Magistrates finally being made to earn their corn ..

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  5. "Those of us in the court had no tea breaks,"

    I've done some shitty shifts in the past but you always, ALWAYS make time for tea.

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  6. Crime happens 24 hrs a day. the Police arrest prisoners 24 hrs a day. 24 hr courts are the way forward

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  7. @ Blue Knight ..

    I recall seeing Night Courts featured on episodes of Hill Street Blues, years ago & have wondered why we never had them, since we seem to import just about everything else (mostly the bad things) which the Yanks do ..

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  8. @ Blue Knight & Captain H. They may become the norm now but I doubt it. They have been mooted several times over the last 2 decades at least and been firmly resisted by Mags and the legal 'profession', as seen they whinge even in exceptional times and they 'professionals' you know they won't like working shifts. Another pissing contest that Dave should ensure he wins.

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  9. "Magistrate: Before sentencing, have you anything to tell this court which might explain your role in the riots?"

    :D

    And that was, presumably, 'Darcus' from Gloucester? ;)

    "I say, steady on there! Well Really!"

    Heh! Heart warming...

    "Good to see the Criminal Protection Service & Magistrates finally being made to earn their corn .."

    Yup!

    "Crime happens 24 hrs a day. the Police arrest prisoners 24 hrs a day. 24 hr courts are the way forward"

    Quite so.

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  10. 24 hour courts means overtime pay and weekend pay. they should be used only when there is too much of a backlog.

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