Courtwatchers have been questioning whether some cases belong in court at all. At @transformjustice.bsky.social, we’ve long argued that many offences could be resolved better outside of court. See what some courtwatchers had to say below ⬇️ 🧵[1/8]

Some courtwatchers have reported magistrates and court staff failing to acknowledge or include defendants during their own hearings. Read more from our courtwatchers below ⬇️ 🧵[1/7]

Some courtwatchers have raised concerns about hearings that reflect a criminalisation of poverty. With food and essentials more expensive than ever, it’s unfortunately unsurprising that many courtwatchers have witnessed hearings where the defendants are accused of stealing food. 🧵[1/6]

Many courtwatchers have witnessed hearings where the defendant is experiencing homelessness. For the most part, magistrates have shown understanding and compassion: trying to take people’s circumstances into account and signposting to support services. 🧵[1/8]

⚠️One courtwatcher observed a deeply disturbing case: a defendant so unwell and heavily medicated he was effectively unable to participate in his own trial - and yet it went ahead with no accommodations at all. 🧵[1/8]

⚠️ Inefficiency around pre-sentence reports are a big cause of delays in the mags’ courts. Almost 1 in 6 of the delays or adjournments observed by courtwatchers throughout the project were so that pre-sentence reports could be written. 🧵[1/6]

👁️‍🗨️“CourtWatch has given me a lot to think about.” One month on from the end of the project, our volunteer courtwatchers have been reflecting about what they learned from their courtwatching experiences; the good and the bad, and what they might do differently going forward. #CourtWatchLondon

⚠️Faulty court technology is preventing the public from seeing crucial evidence. Across dozens of hearings, courtwatchers saw faulty video screen links to be a source of delays and found they were unable to see the evidence originally intended to be viewed by the entire courtroom. 🧵[1/6]

Where a defendant should sit during a hearing is a contentious topic. The controversial dock has long been the default option for defendants in England and Wales. But, as then Hackney Central MP Baron Clinton Davis said in the House of Commons all the way back in 1972: ⬇️ 🧵[1/8]

To what degree should someone’s mental health be taken into consideration by the law? One courtwatcher observed a case where a man was charged with failure to stop and remain at a road traffic accident & failure to supply a breath sample, as he drove to the Thames intending to end his life. 🧵[1/8]

For justice to be truly open, our courthouses must be accessible. We ask each courtwatcher to fill out our open justice form once per court visit (not per hearing) which includes a question on accessibility. As you can see, the results are largely positive! 🧵[1/4]

💡VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT💡Read Annalena’s full Insight on our website: www.transformjustice.org.uk/news-insight... With almost 50 hearing observations under her belt already, Annalena is a certified courtwatching superstar and is never short of interesting cases to discuss.

One of our courtwatchers recently observed a shocking case of mistaken identity - whereby someone arrested for drunk driving didn’t give their own name, but instead the name and birthday of someone else. The drunk driver was sentenced in court still using the other person’s identity. 🧵[1/12]

Many of our courtwatchers have observed serious issues with courtroom video links - from poor quality to complete technical failures. These issues aren’t just frustrating - they risk undermining the defendant’s ability to participate in their own hearing. Here are just a few of the comments: [1/5]

Some of our courtwatchers have raised concerns about the tradition of lawyers referring to each other as ‘my friend’. 👁️‍🗨️“I wonder if instead of the term ‘my friend’ it would be clearer if terms like ‘the defence lawyer’ were used when speaking to witnesses and defendants.” [1/5]

Attending court - should your participation trump etiquette?

Most courts (Crown and Magistrates) have awful audio. The older and high security ones are the worst. Often the defendants struggle to hear in the dock. If you complain it'll generally get better for 10 minutes before they slip back into bad habits.

Not only do our courtwatchers send us detailed reports of their observations, they also have excellent ideas for how to make our courts better. Hear from courtwatcher Carolina on how we could improve audibility in magistrates' courts below ⬇️ Should participation trump etiquette? We think so...

💡VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT💡Read Michael’s full Insight: www.transformjustice.org.uk/news-insight... Next week is Volunteers’ Week & it’s time to celebrate one of our most dedicated volunteers! Michael has observed ~40 hearings already; consistently providing us with detailed & thoughtful reflections.

💡VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT💡Read Michael’s full Insight: www.transformjustice.org.uk/news-insight... Next week is Volunteers’ Week & it’s time to celebrate one of our most dedicated volunteers! Michael has observed ~40 hearings already; consistently providing us with detailed & thoughtful reflections.

This bit is particularly alarming to me. It's not 100% clear what 'a very different outcome' suggests, but courts *should* be sentencing adults for offences committed as children similarly to how they would have been sentenced when the offence was committed. yjlc.uk/resources/le...

Adult processes for child offences....not good

🐌⏰When justice moves so slowly that a child becomes an adult before their case is heard… Court delays are pushing young people, originally charged as children, into adult courtrooms. And our keen-eyed courtwatchers are picking up on this disturbing trend… [1/9]

♀️ Sexism in subtle forms? ♂️ Some courtwatchers are raising concerns about how female magistrates (and other court staff) are treated by their male colleagues. One courtwatcher noted that the female magistrate was being physically excluded from the discussions... [1/5]

💡Is our courts system fit for purpose when it comes to open justice? Join us at the University of Oxford for what is sure to be an insightful lecture from Mr Justice Nicklin, chair of the Transparency and Open Justice Panel. 🔗Register here: www.gtc.ox.ac.uk/news-and-eve...

💡VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT💡 Courtwatcher Dawn Jackson has already observed 20 hearings (and counting!) and gathered plenty of useful insights. Read Dawn's reflections on biases below ⬇️ [1/4]

💡Is our courts system fit for purpose when it comes to open justice? Join us at the University of Oxford for what is sure to be an insightful lecture from Mr Justice Nicklin, chair of the Transparency and Open Justice Panel. 🔗Register here: www.gtc.ox.ac.uk/news-and-eve...

Courtrooms aren’t always neutral, and neither are the people in them. That’s why we need courtwatchers that reflect the communities they observe. Different lived experiences bring different insights to what happens in the courtroom—and better justice for all 🧵 ⬇️

When the cat's away...🐭 Courtwatchers have been surprised by the general chatter & discussion of other cases that goes on when magistrates leave the courtroom to deliberate. Courtwatcher Patrizia refected that it's "a bit like the class standing on the desks while the teacher is in the corridor!"

A defendant charged with shoplifting goods valued at £60 was asleep during his trial. Magistrates woke him just in time to hear he'd been sentenced to 18 weeks in prison.

Looks as if Lord Leveson will propose new intermediate court (between mags & Crown) to deal with lower level cases clogging up Crown Ct. Panel wd be Crown Ct judge & 2 mags. Potential problem is supply JPs. Recruitment process is broken -slow & not diverse www.transformjustice.org.uk/news-insight...

Courtwatcher Michael observed a case in which a defendant was stopped by police for driving an uninsured company car. His manager had told him it was covered, but he was still charged. After waiting 8 months, the case revealed a history of problems with how the company handled insurance🧵⬇️

🙌 1,000 HEARINGS OBSERVED 🙌 Our incredible courtwatchers have now observed over 1,000 hearings across London! What have they found? 👉 1 in 4 defendants were not legally represented 👉 46% of defendants pleaded guilty 👉 30% of hearings that needed an interpreter didn't have one Stay tuned for more!

Recent observations have highlighted how difficult it can be for defendants to comply with bail conditions. A defendant was accused of shoplifting & breaching bail conditions by entering a shop outside of Sutton. He pleaded not guilty. Courtwatcher Jemma was observing ⬇️ 🧵

A defendant was accused of beating a teenager who went to school with her daughter. During her hearing, there was a delay while she spoke to her lawyer, prompting one magistrate to comment: "She’s pushed the bounds of our generosity already." One of our courtwatchers was observing 🧵⬇️

Meet Felix, our first canine courtwatcher! He went along to Willesden magistrates' court last week to observe hearings with some of his fellow volunteers. We're delighted that Felix has developed such a keen nose for justice! 🐶 #PawAndOrder

How do the magistrates' courts treat defendants? So far, our courtwatchers have been impressed! Magistrates and judges communicate clearly, and are generally kind, fair, and professional. We love to hear it! However...🧵

🙌 500 HEARINGS OBSERVED 🙌 In just over a month, our incredible courtwatchers have observed more than 500 hearings across London! Follow along to learn more about our volunteer courtwatchers and their findings in the magistrates' courts 📝

We've trained 300 new volunteers to observe the courts, with 2 more sessions to go! Our newly trained courtwatchers have already observed hearings at 7 magistrates' courts across London 💪 🎉 Don't miss out! Sign up for our FINAL training session on 25th Feb: transformjustice.eo.page/courtwatchlo...

NEW TRAINING DATES! Come along to learn more about courtwatching & meet other volunteers in your area! 📍27 Jan, Clerkenwell 📍31 Jan, Stratford 📍3 Feb, Bromley 📍5 Feb, Wembley Park 📍7 Feb, Liverpool Street 📍[NEW] 13 Feb, Battersea Sign up now: transformjustice.eo.page/courtwatchlo...

Hello world 🤗 We've scheduled CourtWatch volunteer training sessions in: 📍Clerkenwell, 27 Jan 📍Stratford, 31 Jan 📍Bromley, 3 Feb 📍Wembley Park, 5 Feb 📍Liverpool Street, 7 Feb And more to come! Sign up for training or to be notified of future sessions: transformjustice.eo.page/courtwatchlo...