Courts, Tribunals & Judiciary

Crime and creative punishment

US judges have become famous for issuing weird and wonderful punishments for wrong-doers.

Courts enjoy greater powers to grant injunctions

Youth courts are now able to grant orders and defendants can be asked to take remedial actions, explains District Judge Nigel Law

Bakers to mount appeal against 'gay cake' ruling

The Christian Institute claim the court decision will have dramatic consequences if it is allowed to stand

'Bury your marriage' divorce centre staffed with 'legal advisers'

Forty per cent of divorce petitions returned to solicitors for correction owing to errors in drafting or procedure

High Court quashes council's discriminatory Catholic school transport policy

Swansea City Council defended its policy by saying those children affected were 'statistically insignificant'

Supreme Court memoir judgment a 'victory for freedom of speech'

Judges permit publication of pianist James Rhodes' Instrumental

Misery loves company

'For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens "as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone".'

Judges are used to hearing excuses from lawyers as to why their clients have failed to appear at scheduled court dates, but an Edinburgh sheriff may just have heard the best one. Solicitor Roy Harley was representing his absent client, 55-year-old Paul Mount, at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, on charges of conducting himself in a disorderly manner while on a bus by attempting to open a bottle - which he claimed contained petrol - and threatening to set passengers on fire. Harley told sheriff Kenneth Maciver he had no explanation for his client's absence, but told the court he had received instructions from Mount to plead guilty to the charge. When sheriff Maciver inquired as to why Mount had failed to attend court, his solicitor replied: 'To be frank My Lord, when he arrived at my office [last week] he was wearing a fluorescent green Batman outfit. I think drink had been taken. But I do have instructions to plead guilty to this charge.' Sheriff Maciver, who clearly has a sense of humour, responded: 'I will defer the matter to next Tuesday but perhaps you could tell him not to dress as Batman, or Robin for that matter.' In addition to the disorderly conduct charge, the caped crusader also admitted to committing a breach of the peace by struggling with passengers and attempting to climb into the bus driver's cab. It remains to be seen whether sheriff Maciver sentences Batman to the Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Dressed.

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