Bargoed Journal. — 1908-05-14 (Gelligaer, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

JOTTIN3S BY A JURYMAN. have been glad to say with Dr. Johnson, -- "Sir, I have a soul above dates," as it, Trials of Innocents at the ASSiZeS. appears to mc that counsel delight in As it is several years since I served puzzling a nervous witness over dates. before I did not complain when the A few years ago it was my lot to be notice to attend at the Assizes reached cross-examined for a whole day by one me but I thought it nay duty to let the of the leading counsel of the day, and summoning Officer know that advancing owing to my superior knowledge of the years have made me too deaf to hear technical matters in dispute I was able all that is said in court. This disability to hold my own but if he had started to was, however, not deemed to be sufficient cross-examine as to dates I should have and on a Monday morning I left my bed been done for as I can never remember a good deal earlier than has been the the year anything happens in. There many are still a good many antiquated practices at the courts which could well be soon nothing to be done besides wander about dispensed with, to save time, without ease i ff for a nhour r yearsto o on past. rhßreeacin was g the streets. Arriving at the New Law detracting from the dignity of the law Courts punctually at 10 a.m. I found in any way. The swearing of the same thirty or forty other jurymen standing jury time after time, at the beginning of about in groups waiting for the doors each case, is nothing but a tedious old of the court to be opened. A bitterly custom and one swearing might be made cold North-east wind was blowing and to do just as well. The swearing of the the wait till the doors were opened at usher every time he escorts a jury to 10.25 (although the jury were summoned their retiring rooms is also superfluous. for 10 o'clock) was anything but a 1 heard Mr. Justice Lawrence sentence pleasant one. Inside the buildings is a one evil-doer to be flogged and looking spacious well-warmed waiting room for at the man and hearing his record a jurors, and a minor entrance to the line from Romeo and Juliet occurred to courts was already open, but, of course, me, " Mercy but murders, iardoning it was no one's business to inform the those that kill." The courts seemed to poor jurymen perishing outside of this. me to be too small already, ae the petty After sitting a few hours in one of the jurymen themselves fill all the seats courts the first thing to strike me was downstairs which are reserved for the the great improvement, as compared public, and I wondered what will happen with the old Town Hall, in the absence if any trial takes place in which the of cold draughts and the comfortable public are greatly interested. The new temperature prevailing. I also noted Law Courts are certainly not so conwith great satisfaction a great improve- veniently situated as if in Queen Street meut in the behaviour of the police but the extra comfort more than repays towards the jurymen. Many a time have for the few extra minutes it takes to get I been herded, hustled and pushed about there, and although not a particularly in the old courts and it was comforting patient man the writer can honestly say to see the marked self-restraint shown that he did not see much to-complain of by the police in this as compared with in his week's service on the jury this a few years ago. Some of the younger year. policemen are even yet inclined to be .------,-over zealous and I suppose it must to