COURT

Winchester Crown Court is a grand and prestigious law court, being an attribute to the media law section of my journalism degree. My knowledge of the importance of Winchester as a law court assured me that there would be serious allegations discussed but witnessing it was still a shock from the standard safety bubble I usually live in. McNae’s reading was brought to life when put into practise in the court case witnessed today; it was an absolutely fascinating experience that confirmed my understanding of the law court system. The public gallery was empty but I still felt fully part of the proceedings even without being addressed the case was easy to pick up. To my surprise the Head Judge took notes throughout the entire hearing of which seemed to be in longhand, I thought this was impressive to pick up all the detail accurately. I didn’t realise that the jury could ask questions during a witness’ questioning, this occurred when clarification of an acronym was needed – this proved especially helpful for me as I wasn’t completely certain of the definition either. One thing of particular interest was the fact that dependant on which judge was questioning, the tone of speech differed. At some points the manner of the court was fairly intimidating and pressurised but others were more considerate and aimed to obtain the evidence sensitively. It was clear from the beginning that all persons in the court room were fully attentive to the case but were still constantly busy making notes or gathering files to contemplate over. The biggest factor of interest for me was the jury and how ordinary citizens could suddenly be thrown in at the deep end to change society. A brilliant experience no doubt.