News that a group of young lawyers has set up a company to improve facilities for women (men to follow) at the Crown courts is welcome.
Of course, this has generated one or two ‘in our family we only had one clog between us’ comments, in which there is some truth. In the 1970s, there were some facilities at the Crown courts, but little to none in the London magistrates.
Some were, of course, better than others. The long-gone Lambeth court had a fire in our room in winter. There was a brazier actually in the court at Guildhall, kept stoked during proceedings by a chevroned usher. In north London, the men’s lavatory was out in the yard and missing part of its roof. At the Old Bailey, although there was a communal canteen in the basement where witnesses, defendants on bail, jurors, police and lawyers could mix happily, I can’t recall a secure room for solicitors.
At the lower levels, we took our coats into court or left them in an unlocked advocates’ room, hoping that someone else’s clients wouldn’t steal them.
The dangers of this were brought home when I defended a man who had left his coat hanging up in a snooker hall, put it on as he left and was arrested as he stepped out of the club’s door. In his pocket was a stiletto or some other sort of knife, and he was promptly arrested and charged with possessing an offensive weapon. He said it had been planted and whoever did so had telephoned the police. Unfortunately, my client had a number of previous convictions.
He gave his evidence well. In those days, stipes (district judges) would often signal to advocates they knew well. ‘Do you have any more questions?’ he asked. ‘No, sir.’ ‘Are you sure? ‘I’m afraid so, sir,’ I replied, telling as I did what he really wanted to know.
I addressed the stipe on the basis that the same could happen to me as I collected my coat from the unlocked advocates’ room in the court. ‘I would expect you to put your character in evidence, Mr Morton,’ he said. Case dismissed.
James Morton is a writer and former criminal defence solicitor
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