Peeking out of the pit

In a dizzying world where sex pests can get on in life without an eyebrow raised for years and Catalonian democrats face prison at the insistence that all is still democratic.

You would be forgiven for giving up.

But take heart.

The painfully low minimum wage has been raised in Britain to a level most people would consider a bit more liveable.

Fights remain, but clearly progress on this one.

Knock back a seasonal beverage and have a listen to this.

The death of the court reporter

With local press funding disappearing at a rate of knots someone is fast disappearing alongside, the court reporter.

British courts are very different to American ones on one important point.

No recording devices are allowed inside.

Public justice

The OJ Simpson trial...

Couldn't have happened here in the same way.

This means the only way to find out quickly what has been going on in the courts is to actually read court reports.

Valuable work

There was a time when a court reporter was a major feature of most local papers.

Ensuring justice was seen to be done, one of the principles on which our system hangs.

Court reporters still exist, but are dwindling in number.

They do one of the journalistic jobs I most admire.

While on the box

As they are cut to beyond the bone I find myself looking at the Judge Rinder show in a different light.

Sure, the show is entertainment, it is not the justice system as such.

However, increasingly it is offering an open forum to prompt reflection of fairness and justice where we hear less and less of the story unfolding behind the court room doors.

It is not a substitute, but if this is the way we are headed, perhaps it's needed.

Remembering Jo Cox

A year on from Jo Cox’s murder the family are calling for people to get together and connect with their neighbours in her memory. Presumably to nurture the spirit of British culture she hoped to represent before she was killed.

Though I suspect some communities will be more able and willing to get together in this respect than others, as the hung parliament is indicative of a divided mood and the events of the last few years have created conflicts that will take a while to heal.

Though heal I hope they do, as Britain is at its greatest when we come together to celebrate and achieve. At our best we have a generous and peaceful community.

After so many violent attacks in recent weeks I suspect many will be seeking to connect in a positive way, though it is sad we clearly have so far to go in persuading people not to attack each other.

Britain, please vote