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Basic Failure of Open Justice at Cambridge Magistrates’ Court
On Monday the 12th of August 2019 I attended Cambridge Magistrates’ court to observe proceedings, with a view to reporting on them if anything newsworthy took place. I was not able to obtain information which I understand I was entitled to and which I felt I needed both to decide which cases to observe and […]
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Cambridge Magistrates Court Lists Obtained via Freedom of Information Request
FOI Request – Cambridge Magistrates Court List Information While the doors of our adult courts in the UK are unlocked and anyone can just walk in and observe what’s going on they don’t effectively operate in an open and transparent manner. Our courts fail to pro-actively and openly publish information about what they are doing. […]
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Cambridgeshire Police and Crime Commissioner – Courts
Inside Cambridge Magistrates’ Court (source) Public courts are a key and essential part of our justice system and simply having the doors open is not enough; it needs to be easy to find out when cases are to be heard, and easy for what happens in courts to be publicised in accordance with the law. […]
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Cambridge Court Usher Defies Lord Chief Justice on Transparancy
Inside Cambridge Magistrates’ Court (source) In December 2011 the Lord Chief Justice reportedly said “Twitter as much as you wish”, when issuing Practice guidence on live, text-based forms of communications (including Twitter) from court for the purposes of fair and accurate reporting. However in practice it does not appear to be possible to routinely report […]
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Cambridge Magistrates – 17 November 2011
Inside Cambridge Magistrates’ Court (source) On Thursday the 17th of November 2011 I observed one of Cambridge’s magistrates courts in operation. I have written separate articles on two of the cases I observed: Consequences of Punching A Random Stranger on Fitzroy Street in Cambridge Charges Dropped After Student Fees Protestors Strike Deal With Prosecutors Other […]
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Charges Dropped After Student Fees Protestors Strike Deal With Prosecutors
Kings College Cambridge I observed Cambridge magistrates courts on the morning of Thursday the 17th of November 2011. I’d gone along as I was expecting to see Mr Jacob Wills and Mr Curtis-Watson appearing in front-of magistrates in relation to charges arising from events in Cambridge during and after a protest against tuition fee rises. […]
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A Morning in Cambridge Magistrates Court
Inside Cambridge Magistrates’ Court (source) I went to Cambridge magistrates courts on Monday the 25th of July 2011 as this was the date set for the trial of Mr Jacob Wills and Mr Curtis-Watson following allegations they had obstructed PC Hinks in Kings College Cambridge after a protest in the city. The case was not […]
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Jail for 222 Victoria Road Resident Who Burgled Milton Road Pharmacy
Milton Road Pharmacy (Google Maps) On the morning of the 25th of July 2011 I observed Cambridge magistrates sentence Mr Justin McKenzie Sharp, born on the 7th of March 1962, and living at 222 Victoria Road in Cambridge to eight weeks in jail. Mr Sharp was not in custody prior to the hearing, he walked […]
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Watching Cambridge Magistrates Deal With A Car Vs Cycle Incident
Junction of Cherry Hinton Road and Wulfstan Way (Google Maps On the morning of the 25th of July 2011 I observed Cambridge magistrates deal with a Ms Waresha who had pleaded guilty to careless driving following a collision with a cyclist in Cambridge. The prosecution said that on the 25th of January Ms Waresha was […]
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Speaking at Cambridge City Council on the City Wide Police Priorities
On Thursday the 7th of April Cambridge City Council’s full council debated and approved new city wide police priorities. All Liberal Democrats and most Labour councillors voted to drop burglary, robbery and cycle theft from the priorities and approved new priorities of: Alcohol-related violent crime in the city centre Repeat victims of domestic violence Repeat […]