THE £COSTS OF BEING A MURDERER

 

by TheJusticeofthePeace @ 22. Nov. 2010. – 16:03:37

Not being a crown court practitioner I am unaware of the legal niceties involved in guilty after trial murder defendants being ordered to pay prosecution costs. I would hazard a guess that for various reasons it rarely happens or perhaps is rarely reported except perhaps in the legal press. 

However a high ranking member of the Saudi Arabian family that rules that land was recently convicted in London of the brutal murder with sexual overtones of his servant. It is reported that he has been given until Jan 17th 2011 to pay the prosecution costs of £63,763 in addition of course to his defence costs. Perhaps that principle should be applied in its totality to other multi millionaire miscreants who fail to be acquitted at crown court. 

THE HARD MEN OF CARLISLE

 

by TheJusticeofthePeace @ 22. Nov. 2010. – 15:24:02

There were interesting goings on recently at Carlisle Crown Court. In an area famous for its history of border fighting from Picts and Romans to the border Reivers and with its male inhabitants considering themselves as hard or harder than their eastern neighbours in Northumberland it seems old habits die hard.

A butch Cumberlander on a DV charge sacked his female solicitor and barrister on the basis that their sex would prejudice their representation and would be against his best interests until persuaded otherwise by the judge [male].

And as if that wasn`t enough to attest to the supposed dominance of the y chromosome in Carlise Crown Court it took ten police cars and up to 25 police officers to control fighting. Unless there is a risk of violence my court has no security officers present in court at all. My sittings at my local Crown Court seem to indicate that a permanent police presence is absent there also. Short term cash savings perhaps but on the other hand………………………………..

COURTS NEWS//CAMBERWELL`S VIRTUALLY NOT SO WELL

 

by TheJusticeofthePeace @ 22. Nov. 2010. – 15:16:37

Virtual Courts are controversial. The principle of having courts in police stations however the arguments are tended is not one that has met universal acclaim. The practice, as argued by proponents, would convince doubters . It has not. It seems the optimistic gloss has become tarnished. The “court” in Camberwell South London is in chaos according to a report in the Law Society Gazette. This observer considers that irrespective of practice the idea of courts ensconced in police stations does not sit well with judicial independence. I therefore look forward to the official announcement that this pilot scheme will not be a basis for future plans. 

LORD PHILLIPS OFFERS SUPPORT TO MAGISTRATES

 

by TheJusticeofthePeace @ 22. Nov. 2010. – 14:21:54

A former Chief Justice of England is a good person to have on one`s side when the opponent is The Secretary of State for Justice. The freedom of the red benches is as good as a dose of sodium pentothal the truth drug not that former LCJs need stimulants to be truthful but the effect of the drug is apparently to reduce inhibitions about talking on a subject even a top secret subject. Good Lord Phillips has mooted that J.P.s be able to sentence for up to twelve months custody. Interesting times are ahead when K.Clarke publishes his proposals for our courts.