The Kiss of Death?

Now, the title will have you wondering! Read on and I may explain, there again, I may not.

I got in around 150 miles today. Sadly in the car not on the bike. Why? Well I am working in Nottingham this week, so had to drive here as I have to make a number of other journeys. It would not be practical by train and certainly not practical by bike.

Why am I in Nottingham you may ask, and even if you don’t ask I am going to tell you. I am here as part of our work looking at the capacity and capabilities of the Crown Prosecution Service’s (CPS) Complex Casework Units (CCUs). The CPS have asked us to look at their units and see whether they have the capacity and capability to take on more work and whether work needs to be moved into or out of these units.

We seem to be bad news for the CCUs. We are inspecting 2 CCUs this week, The North East CCU and the East Midlands CCU.

Well the week before Christmas the North East CCU hit the headlines after the Judge stopped a Jury Knobbling Trial after deciding the CCU and in particular the Head of that Unit had behaved improperly in relation to the disclosure of unused materials. North East CCU & John Sayers Trial 

Then today the East midlands CCU were on all the media after the trial of 6 people in relation to a planned protest in April 2009 collapsed at the start of the trial over allegations relating to an undercover police officer. Defendant’s Version of trial Collapse . BBC Report of Trial Collapse

Ratcliffe on Soar Power Station – the key place in criminal court case

Neither of these two stories are the reason we are visiting these two CCUs. Indeed the reporting of the two stories in the media does not reflect the reality of the situation. The truth however would make less sensational reading/ viewing and so the media is unlikely to publish the correct facts. It was an reminder today to see how the media report stories in a way that has little connection with the truth.

When ever a story breaks in the media, there are always two sides to the story and it is wrong to jump to conclusions. It is also interesting to see the spin the newspapers put on the stories according to their political views. It seems that spouting their political views is more relevant than reporting the truth to the newspapers. Treat all you read with scepticism, even when the stories seem clear cut.

I am staying currently in the Hilton Hotel in Nottingham for work. We always get a double room for single occupancy. It is a good job that there is only me in this room as I can’t recall ever having such a small double room in a hotel. I think prisoners get bigger cells than I have here. What is worse though than the size of the room is that I cannot get BBC3 on the TV so am unable to watch Family Guy on a night. . This must be a breach of my Human Rights. What is the number of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg?

The good news is its only a few days until the weekend, and what a weekend it promises to be. Certain person to be seen- its been too long since I saw them. She knows who she is.