Bill Carmichael: TV’s case for the prosecution

I learned two things; firstly that lawyers in general, and judges in particular, although usually clever and sometimes positively brilliant, frequently have not the faintest idea about the law they are supposed to implement.

Barely a week went by without the representatives of Her Majesty’s Press – who unlike m’learned friends had actually studied the relevant law – sending a timid note to “your Honour” pointing out that the draconian reporting restrictions he had imposed at a previous hearing were entirely illegal. Black looks for all concerned; in my experience, judges don’t like being told what they can and can’t do.

The second thing I discovered was that the reality of life in criminal courts was not at all like Perry Mason or Twelve Angry Men, or even Rumpole of the Bailey.

Moments of drama were rare indeed. Mostly it was the numbing tedium of long hours waiting for cases to start only for them to be eventually postponed.

The arresting police officer would be discovered to be on leave, or a file would be lost, or the defendant would be absent because he’d been sent on a six week Caribbean Cruise or African Safari by social services – and the whole shebang would be put off for another couple of months at vast expense to the public purse.

I’ve often reflected that if Joe Taxpayer had the time or inclination to see what went on in the average Crown Court he would be shocked and dismayed.

For that reason I welcome the news that Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke is considering televising some hearings in English and Welsh courts.

But the proposal to show only the final sentencing doesn’t go far enough – the entire process should be filmed. That way the paying public would witness the huge amount of money wasted by delays and inefficiencies. Citizens would also learn that whereas some defendants are tragic, damaged cases that would make the hardest heart bleed; others are unrepentant scumbags who should be sent down for a long stretch.

And yes, despite my cynicism, I’ll admit we’d also see a great many decent, hardworking, talented individuals trying against the odds to deliver justice and to be fair to those in the dock. The truth is that, thanks to activist and politicised judges – and ridiculously lenient sentencing – confidence in our criminal justice system is at a dangerously low level. Anything, such as showing what actually happens in court, that may redress that balance, should be welcomed. And often it is only by sitting through every day of a case, listening to all the evidence and mitigation, that you can understand a judge’s reasoning.

So I give a thumbs up to Crown Court TV – and let’s face it, it’s bound to be more entertaining that most of the tripe we have to put up with at present.

Morality tail

MY favourite story of the week was the news that Larry, the rescue cat brought in by Number Ten to sort out Downing Street’s rat infestation, has found himself a girlfriend.

Apparently Larry has taken to staying out all night, and then sleeping it off through the day, after striking up a relationship with Maisy, a she cat who lives in the nearby St James’ Park keeper’s cottage. Sadly, there is no prospect of kittens – Larry went under the vet’s knife some time ago.

Still it is good to see Larry indulging in the sort of behaviour that will be instantly recognisable to many of the human inhabitants of Westminster.