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Magistrate’s Court sentencing hearings were delayed for over two hours yesterday morning (17/08) due to multiple technical problems, disrupting defendants and lawyers alike.
The issues were described as embarrassing and unacceptable by those who spend their working days in and around the courts.
Those in court were unable to hear matters since recently replaced microphones and speakers around the room failed, as well as recording equipment which persisted.
Engineers were working in the main courtroom prior to sentencing hearings commencing, but quickly had to be called back in just after the first of the defendants entered the dock.
Prosecuting and defence lawyers were left struggling to organise the rest of their day around other commitments as some matters were adjourned until after 14:30.
A Royal Court hearing scheduled for 12:00 had to be moved to a different courtroom because of the delay, with the prosecution having to exit the sentencing hearing mid-way to attend.
In a statement to Express, a Royal Court spokesperson said “unfortunately, the audio system was not recording adequately today and therefore Magistrates sentencing had to be delayed.
“I am pleased to report that the issue has now been resolved.”
Pictured: Proceedings were held in Court 1 as the usual courtroom for Magistrate's sittings was out of action.
As proceedings resumed just after 11:30, having supposed to have started at 09:30, Judge Gary Perry apologised, saying “systems do fail”, and that it had been “just one of those days”.
The disruption was not limited to yesterday morning, however.
Express understands that similar issues recently affected a trial where multiple speakers weren’t functioning as video evidence was played. A limited number of audio headsets did work but there weren’t enough for use by the lawyers, jurats, judge, reporters, and other parties.
The spokesperson added that the tech upgrades “will ultimately provide a better service to all court users”.
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