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I remember a time when one didn't need to be searched. I don't recall any serious incidents. There used to be police officers in the corridors and indeed some of the Court Ushers were former police officers.
I remember one female usher at Sunderland who had a limp standing outside Court 1 and telling a collection of football hooligans that the sooner they all behaved the better-and they did. (She might have used slightly more colourful and direct language).
The most annoying thing is being searched time and time again when one arrives at one's local Court for no better reason than the rule is you must be searched.
I do wish the people who dream up these policies and systems could dwell a little longer in reality and stop creating rules to make them look good/protect them from complaint and instead create rules that fit each Court and offer real and proportionate security.
Think about it-someone from HMCTS or the MoJ will be given a badge. They can approach any court and gain entry without being searched even though the security personnel will have no idea who they are. If the badge is fake then someone has gained entry who ought to have been searched. On the other hand the Solicitors who are there regularly and who know the security personnel by first name are searched because they don't have a (fake) badge. This isn't a security policy-its a sham of a one and a nonsense.
If only Willy Johnstone was still with us!!