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Anon at 15:11 GMT - I don't think that it is about thinking one profession is different or better than another, it is about level of risk. If I go to court in my professional capacity, I am not emotionally invested in the outcome in the way that someone attending as a Claimant, Respondent or defendant is - the risk of my wanting to harm another persona at court, or of having a grudge against the system or the process, which might result in my wanting to use violence, are different, and less than, that of someone attending in their personal rather than professional capacity.

I would be curious to know how many of the knives found, were found on people who were attending court in their professional capacity, e.g. lawyers, court staff (including cleaners, security etc) .
I would also be interested in seeing a breakdown of figures between courts which deal with criminal cases and those which dpn't.

On a personal level, My main objection to the searches is that it is a waste of time and primarily for appearances. The searches are sketchy and inconsistent, and they add delay and make attending court a more stressful and intimidating process than it needs to be. I feel much the same way about the searches carried but by (some) museums, and buy theatres and other venues.