Tristan Kirk

I'm writing today about the broken Criminal Justice System

For a boost, I bought a coffee from the Old Bailey's canteen, which was downgraded recently to a vending machine

The machine promised an overpriced latte, then spewed out a black coffee with no milk

Is this the metaphor my article needs?

Inmate at scandal-hit jail died after staff didn't spot suicide risk An inmate at scandal-hit HMP Chelmsford died despite being a known suicide risk

More trouble for HMP Chelmsford, the prison which accidentally set free a sex offender:
One of the inmates died when staff filed to spot he was a known suicide risk www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/hmp-...

Sex offender's accidental release shows the mess our prisons are in Our prisons are failing and have been for some time. This latest episode should be a wake-up call

Politicians have simplistic solutions to crime - lock everyone up, and for longer
They then have a casual indifference to what happens once the cell door is shut

This weekend's crisis over the prisoner wrongly released is symptomatic of a broken system

www.standard.co.uk/comment/sex-...

You've being summonsed to court, you believe it is wrong/malicious, and a suspected abuse of the justice system

The court's answer: Come to court to argue your case, face the person who summonsed you anyway, and pay £300 for the privilege

The county courts in this country have some issues....

Speaker took rare step to stop government minister facing court Ellie Reeves gave evidence from behind a screen at Westminster Magistrates’ Court

Commons Speaker made extraordinary intervention so that Labour minister didn't have to go face-to-face in court with a trans woman she says was harassing her
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/c...

Totally disagree
The magistrate had the power to send the case back to the prosecutor, to highlight the new info, and ask for a check that the prosecution was still in the public interest.

Also, a guilty plea for a defendant without mental capacity doesn't seem right at all

Fast-track court scandal: Pensioner with dementia convicted over £43 car bill The pensioner’s conviction is the latest scandal to emerge from the controversial Single Justice Procedure

Pensioner with dementia living in a care home is convicted in our broken court system over a £43 car bill

www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/p...

I’ve been writing versions of this story for more than two years now. If politicians were interested in helping vulnerable people, they would act

A court has requested a Latin interpreter for today's sentencing hearing

LATIN (AMERICAN) INTERPRETER REQUIRED

Luckily they added (American), and someone who speaks Spanish has turned up.
Otherwise the interpreter might have spent the day translating legal asides, but not much else

Baby P's mother Tracey Connelly says 'I was a crap mum' as she bids for release Tracey Connelly speaks publicly for the first time since her conviction over death of her child Peter who suffered horrific abuse

Baby P's mother Tracey Connelly says 'I was a crap mum' in latest bid for release from jail
A big understatement, you might think

This hearing was a good example of why open justice is important.
Public Parole Board hearings are a great innovation

www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/b...

Ministry of Justice handed criminal conviction in fast-track courts The Ministry of Justice is now seeking to overturn its conviction

The Ministry of Justice has been convicted of a crime and fined £1,000, in a closed-door court hearing the department itself was apparently not aware was happening
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/m...

Officer tweeted crude jokes about woman’s ‘boobs’ and Prince Andrew PC Andrew Jacks’ private X account discovered during re-vetting of all City of London Police staff working in the Square Mile

City of London police officer who posted sexist, ableist, and homophobic comments on Twitter is allowed to keep job
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/c...

Open Justice. Why are these journalists fighting secrecy in the courts? Join @sanchia7.bsky.social & @kirkkorner.bsky.social at @goldsmithsuol.bsky.social @mediacomgold.bsky.social for a revealing discussion. Reception afterwards. All welcome. Details below 👇🏽https://www.gold.ac.uk/calendar/?id=15603

Police officer who tackled teenage fare dodger by grabbing her NECK guilty of assault PC Adrian Young grabbed a teenage fare dodger around the neck at a London train station

Watch: Police officer guilty of assault for grabbing teenage fare dodger by her neck www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/p...

Senior MPs demand answers on collapsed 'Chinese spies' case Tory and Labour MPs have demanded an explanation from the Director of Public Prosecutions

MPs demand answers as to why the Chinese 'spies' case collapsed

Wish them the best, but being realistic, CPS pulls the plug on cases & often offers no explanation
Something vague about evidential test not met, maybe

These two have been treated no differently.

www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/c...

The usher assures me 'nothing was said'

The judge definitely sat in court, then rose again.

Unless everything happened in silence, that can't be right...

Turn up to court, judge starts to hear the case I’m interested in, staff have forgotten to unlock the doors.

Been a while since this happened…

#SecretJustice

Teen convicted over no car insurance while battling for life in hospital The teenager’s harsh criminal conviction came through the controversial Single Justice Procedure

We have a system of justice which is secretive, known to be flawed and unfair, and week-by-week lands very vulnerable people with harsh criminal convictions

And we have a government which is content for that to keep happening

www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/t...

Teenagers charged with TfL cyber attack costing London millions of pounds The two teenagers – named as Thalha Jubair, 19, from Tower Hamlets, and Owen Flowers, 18, from Walsall, West Midlands – were appearing on Thursday afternoon at Westminster magistrates’ court

Teenagers charged over TfL cyber attack

www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/t...

Constance Marten and Mark Gordon jailed for killing baby daughter while on the run Constance Marten and Mark Gordon were convicted of the gross negligence manslaughter of their baby daughter

Constance Marten and Mark Gordon sentenced to 14 years in prison each for killing their baby while on the run

www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/c...

The Repair Shop's Jay Blades denies rape charges in latest court appearance Jay Blades, 55, was charged last month with two counts of rape

TV presenter Jay Blades gets an apology from a judge, as his trial on rape charges is set for 2027.

"It's not a proper justice system....", admits the judge

www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/j...

Edgar Davids fell victim to fraudster who raided art collection Edgar Davids realised his art collection had been plundered after receiving an Instagram message from a man who had bought one of the pieces

Dutch football legend Edgar Davids' art collection raided by fraudster www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/e...

An offer to plead guilty to ABH charges is sent to the CPS on September 2

Six days later, it's the plea hearing in court

And the case is then adjourned for a week, because no one actively reads emails sent to that account

Efforts bringing defendant to court, lawyers & judge in court

Total waste

Got an FOI back from the Ministry of Justice
It came with a curious addition - a couple of (irrelevant) lines from an MoJ press release

Either press officers are intervening in FOIs to insert quotes
Or the FOI team is doing it of their own volition

Neither option is good

Graham Linehan faces trial over trans 'harassment' charge Linehan denied harassing a trans activist and damaging a mobile phone in a women’s conference confrontation

Comedy writer and activist Graham Linehan faces trial today over claims he harassed a trans activist online and broke a mobile phone during a confrontation

www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/g...

TV licence conviction for 'homeless' man caring for ailing friend The case was dealt with under the notorious Single Justice Procedure

TV licence conviction for 'homeless' man caring for disabled and partially sighted friend

#SingleJusticeProcedure

www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/t...

But a Recorder is a barrister, as well as a judge. So it could be his

Who's wig is it?

Judge who had sex with partner in Chambers admits 'shame' Recorder Kirtley faced disciplinary proceedings after he was reported by his former partner

'Shame' of judge who had sex in Chambers
www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/judg...

Breaking news on the Epping hotel:

A High Court judge has granted an injunction on the Bell Hotel, which will see it cleared of asylum seekers
Victory for the local council

www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/eppi...

'Jekyll and Hyde': Celebrity osteopath Torben Hersborg's dark secret revealed Renowned osteopath hid his dark secret for years as he slipped under the radar to target thousands of women

In-depth: The 'Jekyll and Hyde' celebrity osteopath jailed for spying on women in their own homes
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/t...