Did jury service for the first time a couple months back at Woolwich. Really didn't want to do it but actually found it a really interesting experience. Seeing how the process works and our judicial system. Also hearing life stories from those involved and seeing how it's shaped their choices since then.
Didn't come away with the greatest faith in our judicial system. State appointed lawyers were sub par. Felt like accent and how well spoken someone was had a big impact on how they were perceived.
The bloke who was rightly found guilty in the case I was on had a really difficult upbringing. In care all of his life bounced around from place to place. Moved from London to Liverpool. Victim of racist attacks. Attacked and hit in the back with a sledgehammer at 13 had to have his spine reconstructed. Ever since then he's been fighting. I think he genuinely believes that getting the first punch in is self defence. Been in and out of prison since 17 for violent crimes. Was absolutely right that he was sent down this time but can't help feeling that he has been failed by the care system, the justice system and society as a whole. Just felt sad about it all to be honest.
Mr Tatters has been called up to Maidstone - he’s not looking forward to it.
I did two weeks at Maidstone last year, never got picked for the first case so sent home on standby. Got called back three days later and did four days. The judge didn’t like to start before 10am, insisted on a two hour lunch between 12.30 and 2.30 and didn’t like working past 3.30. No wonder there is a backlog in the system. Get these lazy fekkers to start early, 30 minutes for lunch and finish late and the backlog will disappear.
Mr Tatters has been called up to Maidstone - he’s not looking forward to it.
I did two weeks at Maidstone last year, never got picked for the first case so sent home on standby. Got called back three days later and did four days. The judge didn’t like to start before 10am, insisted on a two hour lunch between 12.30 and 2.30 and didn’t like working past 3.30. No wonder there is a backlog in the system. Get these lazy fekkers to start early, 30 minutes for lunch and finish late and the backlog will disappear.
Not really the case is it though. Or certainly wasn't when I did it at Woolwich recently. The judge and lawyers all started at 9 sometimes before. They scheduled in the points of law discussions for those times as much as possible to enable the Jury to not have to sit around for the bits they aren't allowed to be there for. When I did the the judge was always very clear with us how he arrived at the start time for the next day, it depended on how manybpoints of law had been raised and would need to be discussed before starting the next morning. Same with lunches and finish times. It's designed to be as little waiting around for the jury as possible (there was still some but much better than horror stories from pre covid times).
It's not 100% efficient and it never will be but to only count the time the jury is in the room as when the judge and lawyers are working is just wrong. Generally jury are in the room for 65-75% of the time of the case. The rest is legal discussions.
Mr Tatters has been called up to Maidstone - he’s not looking forward to it.
I did two weeks at Maidstone last year, never got picked for the first case so sent home on standby. Got called back three days later and did four days. The judge didn’t like to start before 10am, insisted on a two hour lunch between 12.30 and 2.30 and didn’t like working past 3.30. No wonder there is a backlog in the system. Get these lazy fekkers to start early, 30 minutes for lunch and finish late and the backlog will disappear.
Not really the case is it though. Or certainly wasn't when I did it at Woolwich recently. The judge and lawyers all started at 9 sometimes before. They scheduled in the points of law discussions for those times as much as possible to enable the Jury to not have to sit around for the bits they aren't allowed to be there for. When I did the the judge was always very clear with us how he arrived at the start time for the next day, it depended on how manybpoints of law had been raised and would need to be discussed before starting the next morning. Same with lunches and finish times. It's designed to be as little waiting around for the jury as possible (there was still some but much better than horror stories from pre covid times).
It's not 100% efficient and it never will be but to only count the time the jury is in the room as when the judge and lawyers are working is just wrong. Generally jury are in the room for 65-75% of the time of the case. The rest is legal discussions.
It's a common misconception that judges are only working when they are visible in front of a jury.
A mate of mine is a judge and gets really pee'd off when accused of only working a few hours a day. In addition to the hearing legal arguments point above they are also involved in reading any related evidence for the case they're hearing, reviewing/approving various applications for (unrelated) court orders, reading the reams of pre-sentencing reports and expert evidence, etc. for previous cases and keeping up to date with relevant caselaw, guidance, HO, Bar Counsel edicts and whatnot.
That said, like many of those involved in a trial, they probably don't live very local to the court, so do like to knock off early on a Friday if they can. As would I in their position.
There are many reasons for the dreadful state our criminal justice system is in, lazy judges is not one of them.
When I lived in the UK I was called up twice, really wanted to do it, but on the first occasion my employers forced me to turn it down, and the second time I had just been made redundant and was looking for a job, so they excused me, and then, for some reason they said I was excused jury duty for life...
Having done three stints as a juror I thought I'd hung up my wigs and robes, but I see the upper limit has now risen to 75 with a get out of jail card from 71.
Have to say I rather enjoyed the experience, particularly the one at the Old Bailey with top barristers and a judge (named Judge) who went on to become Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales.
Thankfully not mate. Couldn’t get any gears and I think it’s the clutch slave cylinder, which is fairly easy to change. The clutch is not that old but if it has gone, it’s an engine out job.
Was thankfully the slave cylinder. £20 replacement seal kit and a couple of hours to sort. Relieved as it was stuck on the drive overnight and wouldn’t have been insured if anything had happened as it needs to be garaged overnight.
I got called up for jury service when I 69 for the first time, what a shit case to get, absolutely terrible with loads of hanging about whilst points of law were discussed. I won’t disclose the contents of the case, but the defendant was found guilty after around 3 weeks. Judge in his summing up explained why we were sent out so often (he had pleaded guilty already to a similar charge and the judge was waiting to sentence him, but the defence a QC wouldn’t allow this to be mentioned, the QC for the prosecution wanted the jury to be told). What made it so difficult was the defendant or the witnesses couldn’t speak English so a translator was required. The most harrowing day was when the 2 girls one 4 the other 6 were interviewed by the police, and the video was played to the court, it’s was fascinating how the interviewers got the girls to talk, the harrowing thing was seeing them cuddling their teddy bears.
The parents of the children told totally different stories about the days in question via a translator, the first translator couldn’t make her selves understood by the witness and the judge found out that she was specking the wrong dialect, so they had to find another translator that took days. Then the translator was warned about her answers as she wasn’t translating it to the judge liking (ie the answers she gave wasn’t quiet what the witnesses had said. It turned out the judge could speak the language but not the dialect.). The defendant wasn’t called and he didn’t have anyone to give him a character witness as his whole community had turned against him.
Anyone the judge during his summing up apologised for the total chaos of the trial, and (I’m summarising something he said in 8 hours here) said to forget all the contradictions etc., and concentrate purely on what the little girls said, if we believed them he was guilty, if we didn’t he was innocent.
We went out scratching our heads, how could we come to a decision, anyway we talked about the girls and the video, it took us an hour to make our decision and he was sentenced to a minimum of 25 years the first couple in UK, then deported to Columbia to serve the rest of the term. The judge thanked us and offered us consoling and this was offered to everyone who was in court. He did mentioned we wouldn’t be called for 5 years and as of today I haven’t been. It was horrendous 3 weeks and one that I don’t want to go through again, I do know the around 50% of the jurors talk up consoling. There’s a loads more I could write about what went on and where spoken about this trail, but it’s bringing back to many bad memories.
The way every drama produced gets turned into a F ing musical.
I see Peaky Blinders has been turned into one, FFS.
And while I’m at it, every bloody year there seems to be another production of, Oliver.
Whoever is responsible, Stop it!
I hear that some people in East London are planning a musical about a shocking event that occurred in May, don't know too much about it but I believe its called "Vile... " something!
Comments
Gutted tbh.
Didn't come away with the greatest faith in our judicial system. State appointed lawyers were sub par. Felt like accent and how well spoken someone was had a big impact on how they were perceived.
The bloke who was rightly found guilty in the case I was on had a really difficult upbringing. In care all of his life bounced around from place to place. Moved from London to Liverpool. Victim of racist attacks. Attacked and hit in the back with a sledgehammer at 13 had to have his spine reconstructed. Ever since then he's been fighting. I think he genuinely believes that getting the first punch in is self defence. Been in and out of prison since 17 for violent crimes. Was absolutely right that he was sent down this time but can't help feeling that he has been failed by the care system, the justice system and society as a whole. Just felt sad about it all to be honest.
Get these lazy fekkers to start early, 30 minutes for lunch and finish late and the backlog will disappear.
It's not 100% efficient and it never will be but to only count the time the jury is in the room as when the judge and lawyers are working is just wrong. Generally jury are in the room for 65-75% of the time of the case. The rest is legal discussions.
Still waiting on my expenses 🤷♂️
A mate of mine is a judge and gets really pee'd off when accused of only working a few hours a day. In addition to the hearing legal arguments point above they are also involved in reading any related evidence for the case they're hearing, reviewing/approving various applications for (unrelated) court orders, reading the reams of pre-sentencing reports and expert evidence, etc. for previous cases and keeping up to date with relevant caselaw, guidance, HO, Bar Counsel edicts and whatnot.
That said, like many of those involved in a trial, they probably don't live very local to the court, so do like to knock off early on a Friday if they can. As would I in their position.
There are many reasons for the dreadful state our criminal justice system is in, lazy judges is not one of them.
Have to say I rather enjoyed the experience, particularly the one at the Old Bailey with top barristers and a judge (named Judge) who went on to become Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales.
I see Peaky Blinders has been turned into one, FFS.
And while I’m at it, every bloody year there seems to be another production of, Oliver.
Whoever is responsible, Stop it!
The parents of the children told totally different stories about the days in question via a translator, the first translator couldn’t make her selves understood by the witness and the judge found out that she was specking the wrong dialect, so they had to find another translator that took days. Then the translator was warned about her answers as she wasn’t translating it to the judge liking (ie the answers she gave wasn’t quiet what the witnesses had said. It turned out the judge could speak the language but not the dialect.). The defendant wasn’t called and he didn’t have anyone to give him a character witness as his whole community had turned against him.
Anyone the judge during his summing up apologised for the total chaos of the trial, and (I’m summarising something he said in 8 hours here) said to forget all the contradictions etc., and concentrate purely on what the little girls said, if we believed them he was guilty, if we didn’t he was innocent.
We went out scratching our heads, how could we come to a decision, anyway we talked about the girls and the video, it took us an hour to make our decision and he was sentenced to a minimum of 25 years the first couple in UK, then deported to Columbia to serve the rest of the term. The judge thanked us and offered us consoling and this was offered to everyone who was in court. He did mentioned we wouldn’t be called for 5 years and as of today I haven’t been. It was horrendous 3 weeks and one that I don’t want to go through again, I do know the around 50% of the jurors talk up consoling. There’s a loads more I could write about what went on and where spoken about this trail, but it’s bringing back to many bad memories.