Of course, I was never in the class of Billy Rees-Davies getting permission to go to Ascot (22 October), or the barrister who said she had to care for her ill mother because she wanted to be on two cases at the same time. But some years ago, I did try to appear in two different courts on the same morning.
Simpson, my employer, who was always looking after the pennies and avoiding employing counsel now that I was qualified, thought it a simple matter. Lay magistrates generally sat at 10am and the London stipes at 10.30am. Traffic was negligible compared with today and parking was relatively easy. There was no reason, therefore, why I could not appear and ask for an adjournment in Barnet at 10am and be at, say, North London for 10.30am. This presupposed that my client would be there on time; the prison van would not be late; the adjournment would be unopposed; there would be no objections to bail; the justices would sit promptly; I could be on first; they would not retire; I could park easily; and that I would not be first on the list at North London. At least he accepted that this would not work between, say, Willesden and West London.
If Sandy, his ex-police-officer clerk, was about, then it all worked reasonably well holding things back. His former colleagues were always pleased to help him out. There was, however, a limit on the number of times it could go smoothly with favours asked.
There were some narrow escapes before finally it all went wrong one morning at Tottenham. Sandy did not appear to hold the case back. I arrived from somewhere to see my thoroughly upset clients disappear back down the steps to the cells.
I immediately asked they be brought back up. ‘And what are the new reasons?’ asked the clerk of the court. ‘For a start, I am here,’ I replied. I had a great deal of chutzpah in those days.
The case was reheard but with the same result. After that, I summoned up the courage and put my foot down, declaring it was the last time I’d double date.
James Morton is a writer and former criminal defence solicitor
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