SecretCourtReporter

Prolific journalist. Covering the courts, the obstruction of reporters and the ups and downs of our justice system.

[SecretCourtReporter @SecretHMCTS]

Crown Prosecution Service lawyer Paloma Rao threw her weight behind defending a legal advisor at Bromley Magistrates' Court, who was determined to obstruct me covering an important case. Can you spot the gross error she has made, which breaches the @hmcts media guidance?

[SecretCourtReporter @SecretHMCTS]

I complained and a court manager apologised and wrote: "I have reminded all court staff of the guidance, including the provision that members of the press should not be required to cover proceedings from the public gallery where suitable seating is available within the courtroom"

[SecretCourtReporter @SecretHMCTS]

Last week at Highbury Corner your ill-informed legal advisor ignored your own @hmcts media guidance, claiming: "We have no press seats," in a vast courtroom with over 20 available. Still having to fight against this level of ignorance and pettiness is draining.

[SecretCourtReporter @SecretHMCTS]

@HMCTSgovuk @AlexJJNorris A well-designed courthouse is Harrow Crown Court. All the courtrooms are on the same floor. The jury enjoy natural light while listening to cases. The courtrooms themselves are not ridiculously too small or large. Designers/Architects take note.

[SecretCourtReporter @SecretHMCTS]

@journalism_news This bloke is not shy about bigging himself up is he?

[SecretCourtReporter @SecretHMCTS]

@journalism_news I live for the 'grim reality'!

[SecretCourtReporter @SecretHMCTS]

Bench Chairwoman Joanne Rutledge was keen not to stay too late at Lavender Hill Magistrates' Court last Wednesday: "We are not sitting past 5.00pm. There's an eclipse on."

[SecretCourtReporter @SecretHMCTS]

A nice experience outside Bromley Magistrates' Court this morning while I was waiting to take a photo of an arrival. A female security guard came out and said: "Hello. Would you like a cup of water? It's very hot out here."

[SecretCourtReporter @SecretHMCTS]

I eventually (after much resistance) did get the name, but only after standing up and making an application in the middle of a busy court list. Credit to the CPS rep, who backed me, against a bench Chair determined to keep her first name a secret despite doling out justice.

[Justice of the Peace @BloggingWasJP]

@SecretHMCTS @HMCTSgovuk A valid and welcome comment. @MOJ releasing any information is like having a tooth pulled with no anaesthetic.

[SecretCourtReporter @SecretHMCTS]

@gandlin @HMCTSgovuk Yes, we can ask for it. Like yesterday at Lavender Hill Magistrates' Court where I was met with the usual resistance by the legal advisor and bench Chair, who did not want to divulge it. I don't wish to have stand up hostile debates in the middle of a busy courtroom.

[SecretCourtReporter @SecretHMCTS]

A note to @HMCTSgovuk. Below is how the bench magistrates are listed on the .gov.uk website which lists cases. You will see you are not in compliance with your own media guidelines that insist FULL names must be given 'Mr' & 'Mrs' is insufficient. You need to include first names.

[SecretCourtReporter @SecretHMCTS]

When there's a few quid in it for her Bridgerton actress @andoh_adjoa is happy to mug for the camera. However, her 'mini-entourage' did everything they could to block me outside Lavender Hill Magistrates' Court, where she was fined for speeding. Pathetic.

[SecretCourtReporter @SecretHMCTS]

@Lizevanslondon Wimbledon

[SecretCourtReporter @SecretHMCTS]

Important court press lists of magistrates' cases are restricting vital information. Example: Today I have a sexual assault/GBH case at a HMO. However, the address/location of the offence is not given, simply 'in the Borough of Wandsworth.' Not good enough.

[SecretCourtReporter @SecretHMCTS]

Congratulations @DailyMirror for a truly VIZ-style front page. Ex-footballer Chris Kamara had a slightly elevated PSA blood prostrate score (as do many men) and a further simple check confirmed he had nothing to worry about. Yes, that's it. That's yer lot. No cancer. Never was.

[SecretCourtReporter @SecretHMCTS]

@BBCNews In the 6.00pm national news programme reporter @EmmaVardyTV deliberately failed to tell viewers who the true murderer of Meredith was: African immigrant Rudy Guede, an Ivory coast-born burglar, convicted of slashing her throat during a sexual assault.

[SecretCourtReporter @SecretHMCTS]

Yesterday, I saw @TheMrLoophole fail to save his client @LaPlanteLynda from a 6 month ban for x5 speeding offences in a 20mph. She already had x3 offences for the same road, the A308. The 3 magistrates were having none of it. Here's my pic of them leaving.

[SecretCourtReporter @SecretHMCTS]

Today, @linsey_smith of @BBCNews said: "since the verdicts came through this afternoon," while attending the SENTENCING of Hull funeral director Robert Bush, who had already pleaded guilty to 67 charges. There was no trial, no 'verdicts' were reached today. Really poor reporting.

[SecretCourtReporter @SecretHMCTS]

@MSKX64 @Lizevanslondon Correct. The latest offence was committed before the taxi driver's first 'exceptional hardship' argument. Therefore it is not a case of successfully keeping his licence and then speeding again.

[SecretCourtReporter @SecretHMCTS]

I have a black cab driver up for speeding, who already avoided a ban despite having 12 penalty points when he claimed 'exceptional hardship'. He's now claiming 'exceptional hardship' again for a new offence of speeding in a 20mph zone on the New Kent Road.

[SecretCourtReporter @SecretHMCTS]

This week an urgent email request for a terrrorism search warrant was mistakenly shared by Westminster Magistrates' Court to over 50 media court list subscribers. Unsurprisingly this has caused a major panic and days later requests are still coming in to delate all the material.

[SecretCourtReporter @SecretHMCTS]

Last week at Highbury Corner your ill-informed legal advisor ignored your own @hmcts media guidance, claiming: "We have no press seats," in a vast courtroom with over 20 available. Still having to fight against this level of ignorance and pettiness is draining.