A documentary which seeks out and interviews people who were once parties to important, amusing or possibly even incidental yet fraught court actions, civil and criminal. The programme will strike a balance between explaining the case, examining its legal impact and revealing the cases' impact on the parties interviewed.-- calum, Feb 14 2006 Brown v Board of Education http://en.wikipedia..._Board_of_Educationfor the US-impaired. [calum, Feb 14 2006] Erica Roe http://www.streakin...ericaroespecial.htm [hippo, Feb 14 2006] Donoghue v. Stevenson http://72.14.207.10...&gl=uk&ct=clnk&cd=4 [calum, Feb 15 2006] The Law West of Ealing Broadway http://thelawwestof...adway.blogspot.com/Magistrate's blog. [calum, Feb 15 2006] R v Collins http://uce2003els.s...-v-Collins_1972.PDF [hidden truths, Feb 16 2006] McLibel http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MclibelThe simple story of a postman and a gardener as they go about their everyday business of defending themselves against a multi-million pound lawsuit and dragging the British government through the European Court of Human Rights. [DrBob, Feb 16 2006] Trisha http://www.bbc.co.u...005_03_fri_01.shtml [po, Feb 21 2006] I've seen this done, for example with the parties to the Brown vs. Board of Education and subsequent integration battles.
And the pseudonymous Roe has become a born-again Christian and recanted her now famous struggle to get an abortion.-- DrCurry, Feb 14 2006 A nice idea. When you find another title, I will use the current one for a website where the young and the cool can pass invites to the parties that they won't be able to attend (due to having too many other cool parties to go to) along to those of us who have children and are over thirty and never get invited to any cool parties any more.-- wagster, Feb 14 2006 Hmm. <peruses resume> "Brown v Board of Education, Topeka". Thank you, we'll call.-- reensure, Feb 14 2006 Radio 4 in the UK used to have an interview programme where they interviewed people who were briefly famous. For example, they interviewed Erica Roe who streaked at the 1982 England vs. Australia Rugby match (bizarrely, I actually had tickets to this but for somereason didn't go) - see link.-- hippo, Feb 14 2006 In terms of important cases, I was thinking about Donoghue v Stevenson (link) the seminal delict (aka tort) establishing ginger beer snail case. In terms of unimportant cases, I was thinking of neighbour disputes, and the sort of thing dealt with in the magistrates court (on which, see other link).-- calum, Feb 15 2006 I wonder how that case would have played out in those countries where they deliberately put worms and things in bottles?-- DrCurry, Feb 15 2006 Theme tune by The Who:<ba---baba> Where are you? Where, where - where, where?
If only there could there be scope for tracking down those that were on jury duty and asking them about their thought processes? Ethically wrong - but great television:"So, what *where* you thinking prioir to verdict? How did Johnny Cochrane convince you of his client's innocence in lieu of any real evidence?-- Jinbish, Feb 16 2006 I think that, in some parts of the States at least, jurors are allowed to (or not prevented from) come out onto the courtoom steps and say "Well, I thought he was a kiddy fiddler but no-one would listen." That's not the case in the UK, though. I'd watch your juror programme, for sure.-- calum, Feb 16 2006 After-Parties?
I think the case of R v Collins (1972) for one that would be interesting to find out the present circumstances of the parties. I'll try and find a link.-- hidden truths, Feb 16 2006 Heh. That episode could be called "All Cats Are Grey In The Dark."
Later: that is a great judgement - there was no need to mention the socks, or why he kept them on, but they did. And for that, I thank you, Edmund Davies LJ.-- calum, Feb 16 2006 // ... tracking down those that were on jury duty
Baked in the USA. Disgusting.-- reensure, Feb 16 2006 I think that's an extremely funny story.-- DrCurry, Feb 16 2006 That R v. Collins case is bizarre - I love the analysis that shows he appears to have not actually broken any laws - even trespass - although he could have been prosecuted for indecent exposure, I suppose, for stripping off before climbing the ladder.-- hippo, Feb 21 2006 But, of course, the glory is in successfully prosecuting a rape & burlgary charge, rather than a run of the mill willy-waving charge, so the Crown go for the meatier option.
The more I think about this, the more I'd like to see the aftermath of the neighbour disputes, supposedly settled in court, where the rancour and bile bubble and fester on, cemented, rather than eliminated, by the court action. Perhaps such a programme could encourage people to solve their problems amicably, rather than running to the courts.-- calum, Feb 21 2006 sounding more and more like "Trisha"-- po, Feb 21 2006 Yes, absolutely, but without: (a) the studio-bound format; (b) the sermonising; (c) the pretence of attempted reconcilliation; and (d) Trisha.-- calum, Feb 21 2006 Taking up from hippo's last anno. The whole case raises more questions than it answers. For example, was there a garden? If so then he had already commited an act of trespass before he ever got to the window. If it was a terraced house and there was no garden then where on earth did he get the ladder from? And if the ladder wasn't his then had he already committed an act of theft to get it? The whole thing reeks of fish! Unlike calum's splendid idea. I suggest replacing Trisha with the odious Jeremy Beadle. Someone much more likely to rejoice in the discomfort of all those involved.-- DrBob, Feb 21 2006 Interesting arguments [DrBob], however a) As you say, there could have been a trespass, but that would be a civil claim, not a criminal one. b) That he managed to procure a ladder seems one of the more unlikely parts of the case, but drunk people have a tendency to be able to reach high places anyway. I have a hypothesis that alcohol increases people's chances of finding ladders. c) For it to have been a theft he would have had to intend to keep the ladder, when there is no indication that it is his motive.-- hidden truths, Feb 21 2006 Ahh, but... a) ...with intent to perform a criminal act (is there such a crime? I may have just made that one up.) b) True. After a night on the beer I often wake up in bed with a ladder. c) I bet that theft of the ladder was the real crime here which he cunningly disguised behind a dubious, and easily defended, sexual assault case.-- DrBob, Feb 21 2006 a) Apparently the only place I can find the word trespass used in a criminal sense is with intent to commit a sexual ofence, which would be relevant except that I can only seem to find cases involving actual buildings being trespassed upon, not outside land. b) Sounds pretty awkward. c) Clearly the man was a criminal mastermind. Just look at the foresight to keeping his socks on.-- hidden truths, Feb 21 2006 //I often wake up in bed with a ladder// in your tights? <pun intended>-- po, Feb 21 2006 I never wear my tights in bed.-- DrBob, Feb 23 2006 not even when you're tight?-- po, Feb 23 2006 //I never wear my tights in bed.// Socks?-- coprocephalous, Feb 23 2006 random, halfbakery