Comments on: New Cambridge Magistrates’ Court

By: Richard Taylor

Richard Taylor — Fri, 20 May 2011 09:19:20 +0000

At Cambridgeshire County Council’s full council meeting on the 17th of May 2011 Conservative Cllr Tuck was standing down as leader of the council.

Leader of the 3 or so strong Labour group on the council Tariq Sadiq made a speech saying what a great job she’d done. He highlighted Cllr Tuck’s defence of the council’s use of covert spies in the case of the newsagent suspected of not following all the legislation on employing children as one of her finest hours. Cllr Sadiq said that Cllr Tuck’s statements at the time had been reported on by a Conservative blog along with the comment that if her party affiliation wasn’t known from her words she’d be assumed to be staunchly Labour.

While public awareness of the case arose following my day observing the court, I wasn’t aware the council leader had been called on to defend the council’s actions.

During the council meeting I live tweeted:

Labour’s @tariqsadiq commending Clkr Tuck’s defence of council spying on Newsagent suspected of breaking employment law. @CambsCC #live

On the 20th of May Cllr Sadiq responded via Twitter to say:

@RTaylorUK Bit unfair. I wasn’t making any comment on whether use of RIPA was good or bad.

By: David Hollingsbee

David Hollingsbee — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 22:47:01 +0000

Was Mr Maitland awarded costs against the Council for his wasted time and travel?

By: David Vincent

David Vincent — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:11:09 +0000

I haven’t had a chance to go to the Magistrates Court yet (although I may have in due course now that Tesco have predictably appealed against the refusal of their alcohol licence for the Mill Rd shop).

I do think that it’s a pity that we missed the opportunity to combine all three courts in a single complex when the chance arose, although I appreciate it wasn’t for want of trying.

Having said that, the new Crown Court building is one of the few interesting pieces of recent public architecture.

By: Richard

Richard — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 23:39:12 +0000

The court is to be officially opened on the 30th of September 2009.

Problems with the building are still persisting and have been highlighted by solicitors in advance of the official opening. Some are due to poor planning and poor architecture, others appear more easily solvable.

In my view this has been £18m of public money very poorly spent; there was an opportunity here to have a fantastic new, functional, public building. What we’ve got is impractical, unsafe, and foreboding - for all but the Magistrates who get to enter via the Grand Arcade shopping centre, and have natural light above their benches.

See also : New city courthouse is criticised - BBC Tuesday, 29 September 2009

By: Rob - Cambridge

Rob - Cambridge — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 16:23:59 +0000

Richard, I’d advise you to be a bit careful when reporting from the magistrates court. You are covered by absolute privilege for a fair, accurate and contemporaneous account of what is said in proceedings, but this does not cover you for what is said in the public gallery for example, or indeed your own particular take on matters.
The camera policy is hardly ‘crazy’ as you put it. You’re not allowed by law to take photographs anywhere in the court or in its precincts, hence security’s obvious reluctance to let someone in with a camera. On the other hand, they’re hardly going to confistcate everyone’s phone’s are they, seeing as nearly everyone has some form of camera included these days?

I like your posts, they serve a very useful function in holding the city council and others to account, especially now the CN rarely attends such meetings. Just be careful not to turn people off by sounding too righteous.

By: Richard

Richard — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:22:25 +0000

The person who said he was waiting for his money to come from Zimbabwe to enable him to pay his council tax has been jailed for his role in a con involving an ex. Mayor of Ely. The individual is still claiming he has $5 million in a Zimbabwean bank account, if they’re Zimbabwe Dollars then that’s just under ten pence at today’s exchange rate.

By: Richard

Richard — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 02:16:12 +0000

A Cambridgeshire County Council report on the council’s use of RIPA powers describes the case involving the newsagents.

By: Richard

Richard — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 12:59:12 +0000

The newsagents were found guilty and given conditional discharges.

Cellar Bar 8 was denied permission to extend its opening hours, the owner says he will be re-applying in six-months.

By: Richard

Richard — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 20:19:51 +0000

The individual pleading guilty to speeding on Trumpington Road has been discussing his case online, and has made photos of the scene available.

I hope when the 30mph limit on Huntingdon Road is moved up to Girton they make the signs very clear.

By: Richard

Richard — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 19:55:45 +0000

Driving into the City today I noticed the signposts pointing to the Hauxton Road Magistrates Court were still in place. As someone defendants as late as last Thursday were going to the wrong place I think these need changing.

I have made this suggestion to Cambridgeshire County Highways.