“The accused appears, the charge is read, the plea is made; and you, the viewer, sit in judgment on the Bench, presiding over a Court of Justice.”
Written by Geoffrey Bellman and John Whitney, this BBC drama series debuted on Monday 6 July 1959 and ran for seven weeks. David Willmott and Sheelagh Rees directed, with Elwyn Jones producing.
In some episodes, the court was a Stipendiary Magistrate’s Court, in others, the more formal Court of Quarter Sessions, presided over by a Judge. “Sessions” were local courts that were traditionally held at four set times each year; they were abolished in 1972.
The set was arranged to give the viewer the Magistrate’s view – the dock directly in front, the public behind it, the witness box to the right, solicitors and counsel in the well of the court, the clerk immediately beneath.
The magistrate was therefore heard but not seen.
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