| The whole court set up is designed to intimidate you. The last time I went to court was when I got a totally unjustified parking ticket and decided to contest it in court rather than just cough up the fine.
The court seems to treat everyone the same, so whether you go up before the local magistrates for a parking offence or GBH you still get the same heavyweight summons which is designed to scare the crap out of you with talk of 'criminal records' etc...
When you get there, the layout of the court is designed to make you feel like a little lump of something you'd want to wipe off your shoe. All the magistrates sit at a desk about 10 feet up from the floor and glare down at you in your little box. All the proceedings, all the court etiquette (all stand for the beak etc) is just designed to make you feel very, very small. Prepare yourself psychologically for that.
I didn't get a solicitor for such a trivial offence and represented myself. I'm reasonably eloquent and able to represent myself well enough in business so I thought I would give it a go. Having said that, the way you have to phrase questions when it's your turn to quiz the police or any other witness does detract from your ability to represent yourself unless you're used to the jargon, so get a good lawyer on your side.
Other than that, just dress smartly, represent yourself clearly and dispassionately, tell the truth and that's it. In my case I actually found that, once I did that, the magistrates gave me a sympathetic hearing.
[Edited on 2-3-2005 by Jools]  |