Snow

I do like snow. However, I've come to beleive that the legal profession is perhaps one of the most affected professions when it comes to adverse weather. A strange claim to make you might think but consider the following in the context of a Crown Court trial which is well underway. To be effective, you need the following people- the Defendant (preferably!), the Judge, Defence Counsel, the Prosecutor, the 12 members of the Jury, the Witnesses in the case, the Court Clerk, and, ideally, the Usher, Officer in the Case and all the administrative support staff. Now, past experience has shown that when it snows, at the very least, one of the aformentioned people won't make it to court. And without that one person, it is unlikely that your trial will continue.

I remember the year before last I had travelled to Harwich Magistrates' Court. The weather was horrendous. It was a long trip to Dovercourt train station but I made it. The roads were too icy to call for a taxi so I had to walk (case in hand) up to the court which sits atop a fairly steep hill. I managed to get there only to be greeted by a security guard who said, and I quote, "oh, the local magistrates can't make it because of the weather". I shall not repeat my reply. Suffice it to say, I considered there to be no excuse for not making it when I, who was travelling the greatest distance, had managed to get there safely. It does, however, prove the point of this post- snow invariably prevents court cases from going ahead- at what cost to the taxpayer I'd be interested to know.