THE COURTS AND TRIBUNAL SERVICE - is supposed to provide (from their own webpages) 

"responsive justice system for the public"

We’re responsible for:

• "providing the supporting administration for a fair, efficient and accessible courts and tribunal system"

Take at good look at the statue of Justice - she stands on top of the London High Court

She holds the Sword of Justice in one hand and the Scales in the other - a wonderful "meme" in modern terms of the Guilty getting their comeuppance.  It's a great statue - the only trouble I have with it is :-

SHE'S NOT BLINDFOLDED!  - HER SCALES ARE OUT TOO!

WHAT THEY REALLY ARE - IS SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT!

A BUNCH OF SELF SATISFIED, SMUG, SELF PROTECTING SO & SO's WHO IGNORE ALL CRITICISM - THAT'S IF THEY EVER ACTUALLY HEAR IT IN THE FIRST PLACE!

I THINK THEY STICK THEIR FINGERS IN THEIR EARS AND SING LaLaLaLa!

I recently asked them quite casually, why they adhere to the Data Protection Act to the point of pedantism and yet publish everyone's Will - to me (may be it's me who's mad?) it seems rather ridiculous to want to prosecute anyone who releases VERY LOW LEVEL personal info (if you willingly give me your name, phone number etc., that's o.k. for me to use it but according to the ACT - I cannot give the same info to anyone else unless I ask your permission. I find this utterly ludicrous because it's still in living memory that phone boxes had directories - lists of folk that have a phone!)  so now it's illegal for me to give out your phone number but they can publicly advertise exactly how much MONEY SOMEONE HAS LEFT YOU, ALONG WITH YOUR NAME & ADDRESS. 

Earlier this year, my Council Tax bill arrived and being a fine upstanding citizen (I did a little wardance around the kitchen while shouting "Thieves! Bandits! Pencilpushing bastards!!")  just the same as most other folk with some bricks and mortar firmly fixed to the ground. The unavoidable stuff of life - death and taxes - so I dutifully sent off my money the same day.

A week or two later - I had a reminder - to which I sent a curt reply. Another week and another reminder - I sent back a even more curt reply. This ping-pong went on for a couple of months - my bank assured me that my money was sitting in the Council's account - they checked again. I phoned Alice Martin who was a bigwig at Buckinghamshire Council Revenues "the bill has been paid" said I - "We haven't got it" said she - and it was quite plain that she regarded me as a lying bastard rather than a paid up guy who's money she'd lost.   

She must have sent out a SUMMONS the minute she put the phone down - and here's a funny thing - it was her, from the Council's Offices that wrote it out and put it through their franking machine - NOT High Wycombe Magistrates Court! YOU COULDN'T MAKE IT UP! 

Not only did the Council insist that this was above board and all in order - the Court were an absolute Shower of Bastards too - they regard everyone they see as guilty - obvious, isn't it - I mean, nice people don't get writs do they? "WE CAN'T GIVE YOU LEGAL ADVICE"

(Yes that old chestnut again!) "I don't want legal advice - I want you to tell me how someone who doesn't work for or in your Court can issue Summones in your name?"  I'm still waiting for an answer.

Well, all in all , I must have spent about a day on the phone and in front of my keyboard but eventually the Council found my money - "oh yes, it was in one of our accounts but not one regularly monitored."  What the hell is that supposed to mean? All the numbers I sent with my money came from the Council's own bill. I've yet to receive a proper apology.

Some time ago, I was sweeping leaves from my drive when I came across a partly decomposed envelope behind me flower pots - it turned out to be - A WRIT OF SUMMONS!!!! YEH GODS AND LITTLE FISHES!!! 

Now without going into all the in's and out's - I reckon the average reasonable person would accept my report of only just finding said Writ as genuine. - WRONG!

Over about two hours of phone calls to their Northampton hub I was left in no doubt that they regarded me a LIAR & CRIMINAL - and probably one well versed in sob stories or prolonging the agony before legal retribution! NO - IT COULDN'T BE CHANGED! NO, EVEN IMPORTANT WRITS DO NOT HAVE TO BE REGISTERED OR TO BE SIGNED FOR - THEY JUST BUNG THEM IN THE NORMAL POST AND CONSIDER IT SERVED LEGALLY!

If you look on their website, one of the most prominent paragraphs caution one to be on good behaviour when speaking to their staff as abuse will not be tolerated..... yet the attitude of their people would test the resolution of a saint!  (For those of you who don't know - court cases can merrily carry on without you or your knowledge - a judgement can be entered against you and the first thing you will know about it is when a bailiff leans against your door. )

In my experience, the Courts & Tribunal Service - or at least the tin pot people that work there - only take notice of the Plaintiff, the guy who's paid their fees to take out the Writ - the Defendant is something they've stepped in - or would like to!

No matter what you call or write to them about - they will jump to their barricades - WE CAN'T GIVE YOU LEGAL ADVICE! 

Er, hmm, I don't want legal advice - I want you to do your damn job properly - if someone wants to see me in Court - make sure I know about it - I'll be there to fight my corner!!! 

I also recall a minor traffic ticket - most unfair because I only had it for being public spirited - or so I thought. My vehicle had played up with an intermittent electrical fault so when it happened again at some very busy traffic lights - I let it coast on to the footpath. After cooling off for a few minutes it started again and I drove away - a few weeks later I recieved a fixed penalty in the post ( reliable postie that day!) 

I thought that once the situation had been explained everything would be understood and Bob would be my uncle - was he Heck! 

I applied for a Tribunal hearing and duly attended a recently completed palace of luxury offices where an old duffer I wouldn't credit with tying his own shoelaces decided that there was nothing wrong with my vehicle and I'd just parked up for the hell of it in the rush hour! As I'm more than old enough to remember - it was a John McEnroe moment! YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS!!!

Ah, but he was and there's no comeback - whatever he says goes - after all someone has to pay his wages and that lovely office space!

What no one told me - is the fact that the meter is still turning over even when one Appeals so my £30/40 ticket ended up being £250 this really sticks in my craw. BIASED AS BIASED CAN BE. 

The very next week, my vehicle did the same thing in the fast lane of the M25 outside London Airport - four very helpful policeman came along (eventually) and rescued me from the central concrete wall and assisted moving the truck - they did not charge me for parking on a motorway so for once - commonsense prevailed.

if you've got this far - do drop me a line with your own moans - I intend to take this further.

AND OF COURSE - THE CROWN PROSECUTION "SERVICE" IS ALL PART OF THE SAME HELLHOUSE! 

As I've already said - may be it's me that's mad but why do so many violent crimes seem to go unpunished while these jobsworths waste money ( yours and mine ) making ordinary folk's life difficult?