The Road to the Bench

Tom visits Reading Magistrates Court with his old university friend Sian.  In the dock are those accused of drug dealing, shoplifting, jumping bail and a whole range of other crimes and misdemeanours. The Court hustles and bustles with lawyers, legal advisors, police officers, translators, and robed attendants, but there is no doubt who is in charge: A no-nonsense, middle-aged Irishwoman sits right in the middle of proceedings, and though hers is a voluntary position and she's never studied at the Bar, her word is the Law. Magistrates are a vital part of the British legal system. They are the first port of call for defendants in 95% of criminal cases - from terrorists to those accused of speeding.  For Sian, it is her first taste of what to expect when SHE takes up the position of Magistrate. Her application is in, and she's waiting for a vacancy to come up in her local area. It's almost like her entire career has been leading to this moment. Calling her to the Bench.  ***   Sian is the co-founder of Storm Safe Crisis Communications, a specialist consultancy providing scalable crisis communications support for businesses of all sizes, including response planning, scenario development, media frameworks and retained advisory services. Find out more via the website : Storm Safe Crisis Communications or contact her through LinkedIn : Storm Safe Crisis Communications If you have any story ideas for future episodes of Caught Up in Crime - you can email them to [email protected] or contact me at [email protected]  Connect with me on LinkedIn Or Facebook Or Instagram Artwork by Spencer Wilson  Music by Premium Beat Theme: Noir Guitar by Jonathan Boyle Tracks featured in this episode: Timeless Piano by Immersive Music Sweet Little Things by Jack Pierce A Palace in the Pines by Big Score Audio Ticking Time by Eskimotion