Thursday 7 April 2011

'It is sobering looking through court lists'


A visit to a local court is not something most people have on the 'List of things to do' that's sitting under a magnet on the door of their fridge, but as pointed out in the editorial of today's Daily Examiner that's where a lot of action is really happening.

Most people travel past court houses and are totally ignorant of them. Others go by and remark about their appearance, especially those constructed in the 1800s; their design and workmanship provide evidence that the character of buildings really meant something and they were not just functional constructions of the type built in more recent times.

Again, most people have never been inside a local court and examined what they look like - there are some real charmers.

However, apart from their appearances it's the workings of a local court that most people have little or no idea about.

Readers of local papers, like the Daily Examiner, are provided with reports on court proceedings such as who did what and the penalty the court imposed. Naturally enough, local papers cannot report on every matter heard in local courts. It's usually only the big matters that are of substantial public interest that get a guernsey.  

The Examiner does a good job with the resources it has - reports are factual and objective, but space restrictions limit how much can be reported.

Today's Examiner highlights the types of matters that are occupying a good deal of court time. Apprehended violence orders (AVOs) and drink/driving top the list.
 

Click on image to enlarge to full article

No comments: