Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Technology

On Tuesday I went to Court for a video link hearing. My Client had been refused bail the week before but was due to appear in Court via a video link for a second bail application. Video link hearings are always a little bit strange because the Client appears on a television screen and is never physically present in Court. The thing that I find strange about the whole affair is that the client appears on the television screen sitting down with a sign, usually to their right, that says HMP Whatever - they look like news presenters they way that they are arranged.

I got to Court nice and early to have a private conference over the video link with my Client. Unfortunately the video link equipment was not working. After about an hour had passed the Usher told me another revelation - my Client had been lost in the prison system and he was not at the prison he should have been. It took about another hour to locate my Client, and it turned out that he was gone to a far flung South London prison instead of the usual remand prison when he had been refused bail last week.

My whole morning had been a waste of time and the case was simply adjourned to the next day. You would think with the modern technology at our disposal video link hearings would work without any problems?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mmm, prison staff are generally remarkably unhelpful. There again, can u imagine doing their job...?

Anonymous said...

At least your client was in prison - we have had a client let out after a Judge had refused bail because he persuaded the prison staff that the Judge had got it wrong ...

Archbold, the Cat

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