As one of my last acts in the teaching profession, I took a small party of schoolchildren to
see A Magistrates Court in action. We saw three cases of common assault. The
first was dealt with to a conclusion - and satisfactorily.
Two cases came up with a similar degree of violence
but were adjourned for pre-sentence reports. This was distinctly odd,
particularly as neither defendant had any previous record.
Apparently, this kind of thinking, which did not apply
when I was a JP, is new and will always apply now where domestic violence is
involved. Just how absurd when a simple push cannot be dealt with on the day. Why the
waste of time? Why the ridiculous delay?
If serious domestic violence were the point -
then - all to the good. But why put unnecessary pressure onto the already
overburdened Probation Service. Why further clutter busy courts over cases which
are, in essence, not at the high end of the range for assault
offences?
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