I'm in court tomorrow.. What do I wear??
Discussion
OP -dont forget to switch your mobile off before going into the court, It'll help if you can have a look inside the court before you have to go in - witness care services may be able to sort this - just sneak in between cases - itll help you get your bearings and the place wont be so daunting when you are called in
Gonna go abit earlier than planned and try and get a look in there before it starts. With regards to what im wearing, im sure i will be smarter than most of the buggers that go in there.. Stockport is a s
t hole and its surrounding areas. All i can do i suppose is tell the truth and try and chill, not like im the guilty one.
t hole and its surrounding areas. All i can do i suppose is tell the truth and try and chill, not like im the guilty one. elephantstone said:
Gonna go abit earlier than planned and try and get a look in there before it starts. With regards to what im wearing, im sure i will be smarter than most of the buggers that go in there.. Stockport is a st hole and its surrounding areas. All i can do i suppose is tell the truth and try and chill, not like im the guilty one.
Exactly, mate.t hole and its surrounding areas. All i can do i suppose is tell the truth and try and chill, not like im the guilty one. It's not complex really. It's a formal and important process, but the Court staff, mags and lawyers are all normal people and are usually quite pleasant. If you behave with the appropriate level of dignity, and you obviously are, it is pretty easy to be a witness.
Jasandjules said:
Dress as smartly as you can.
I know that's just a figure of speech but I don't think it's right.Being a normal PH Co Dir (of significant build and demenour), I have some very smart clothes indeed. So I doubt my stockbroker gear (loud suit, tie, shirt, super shiny shoes, expensive add-ons) would be really appropriate. Nor would my garage shorts and t-shirt.
There is quite a wide range of appropriate clothes from "quite casual" to "quite smart".
So OP, don't over-think it. It's just a conversation with people who want to talk with you. If there's rules and processes then they will be explained to you.
Go along, enjoy seeing the justice system in action and have fun.
Bert
PS soz for the pedantry
OP just googled dress code for court uk. Seems like the done thing is to bling it up like these rude boys. You'll look the business in front of the magistrates.
On a more serious note - how on Earth can someone who dresses like that or a Barrister comment on what someone is wearing? They all look like they ram raided an Victorian fancy dress shop to go to work.
On a more serious note - how on Earth can someone who dresses like that or a Barrister comment on what someone is wearing? They all look like they ram raided an Victorian fancy dress shop to go to work.
elephantstone said:
Im in the waiting room. All very relaxed and im smartest in here so dont know what i was worrying about. Hopefully i wint be in here all day!
I should add my thanks to JasandJules'. The justice system wouldn't work if people weren't willing to give up their time to help. Good on ya.
R_U_LOCAL said:
elephantstone said:
Might not have to go in at all. Think hes pleading guilty! Hope so im bored and starving!
He's more than likely pleading guilty because you've turned up, so don't view it as a complete waste of your time!covboy said:
R_U_LOCAL said:
elephantstone said:
Might not have to go in at all. Think hes pleading guilty! Hope so im bored and starving!
He's more than likely pleading guilty because you've turned up, so don't view it as a complete waste of your time!I know probably half a dozen criminal solicitors personally. I know lots of people who have been in trouble with the law. I've never heard this suggested as a legal tactic once... Not once.
I could give you the real reasons for cases getting this far. But it wouldn't be outrageous enough. And that is because the Crown often don't have an evidence bundle available until this point. No one can advise someone how to plead until they see what evidence is available. For people who actually care about truth.
And before people jump in saying you know if you are guilty or not... Well yes you do. But in civil cases most people know if they are in the right or wrong or not as well. It doesn't mean a decent commercial lawyer or barrister tells people to settle before working out if the other side has a shred of evidence to support a claim.
covboy said:
R_U_LOCAL said:
elephantstone said:
Might not have to go in at all. Think hes pleading guilty! Hope so im bored and starving!
He's more than likely pleading guilty because you've turned up, so don't view it as a complete waste of your time!Witnesses can't or won't attend? CPS will offer no evidence & defendant walks free.
Witnesses do make the effort to take time out of their own schedule to attend? Defence solicitor advises defendant that it won't go well & that they should plead guilty. Court will still give some credit (and reduced penalty) for guilty plea.
Waste of everyone's time? You be the judge.
If you were the defendant though, it's got to be worth a punt, hasn't it?
R_U_LOCAL said:
It's a very common tactic.
Witnesses can't or won't attend? CPS will offer no evidence & defendant walks free.
Witnesses do make the effort to take time out of their own schedule to attend? Defence solicitor advises defendant that it won't go well & that they should plead guilty. Court will still give some credit (and reduced penalty) for guilty plea.
Waste of everyone's time? You be the judge.
If you were the defendant though, it's got to be worth a punt, hasn't it?
You do realise that doesn't happen in reality don't you? In most cases it would just be adjourned whilst the witness was looked for. And if they wanted the witness badly enough they would go and arrest them. Even if that doesn't work they can use the witness statement in some cases. Witnesses can't or won't attend? CPS will offer no evidence & defendant walks free.
Witnesses do make the effort to take time out of their own schedule to attend? Defence solicitor advises defendant that it won't go well & that they should plead guilty. Court will still give some credit (and reduced penalty) for guilty plea.
Waste of everyone's time? You be the judge.
If you were the defendant though, it's got to be worth a punt, hasn't it?
If it was as simple as you are making out, every naughty boy/girl would get their mate to give a statement. The defence brief would then ask for that witness and the case would be thrown out when they didn't turn up. It's just not reality.
Maybe with something completely trivial like doing 35 in a 30. But for anything like battering someone they don't let people missing the bus a get out of jail free card.
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