The UK Judicial System Part 4
Reflecting back on my experiences with the UK judicial system, it's disheartening to realize that even though I was acquitted, I couldn't recover my legal costs from the prosecution. They only refunded me at an LHA rate, which meant that if I paid £200 or £300 an hour to my solicitors, I would only receive a refund of £70 an hour. Does that seem reasonable to you?
The Council had prosecuted me for double-using a parking ticket on the same day for both my car and our company van. However, they lost the parking ticket at the last minute, which resulted in the case being dropped due to a lack of evidence. Still, they persisted with the trial and wasted taxpayer money, with a team of five people from the Council attending, who were presumably on decent salaries. I couldn't recover my costs, and I don't understand why.
In another case against the Council, where they pursued Lifestyle Club, they told my lawyers that the trial would be in the magistrate court, but at 5 PM the day before the trial, they changed their minds and took it to the Crown Court. This decision resulted in more expenses. In the next two hearings, they added, removed, or reformulated charges one day before each trial, forcing us to spend more money on reformulating the defences and expending more court resources. We quickly learned that they can do whatever they want; that's how the system works.
I am convinced that the last judge did not approach the case from a legal standpoint. He recognized the prosecution team's incompetence and took advantage of the gray area. It was clear that he was of the opinion that I was someone who needed to be "taxed" a bit.
I received a small fine, but I gained a deeper understanding of the UK judicial system, civil and criminal matters, county courts, magistrate courts, the Crown Court, and the roles of lawyers, solicitors, and barristers. Although there is always more to learn, I now have more experience than the average person. I have won many cases and lost some, but each experience has provided me with more knowledge of how the legal system operates. I'm not afraid, and I'm always ready whenever a situation like this arises.
Being a significant player in the flat-share industry for many years will inevitably lead to moments like this. In the property business, there will always be some form of litigation, big or small, waiting around the corner.
Those are my thoughts on the UK Judicial system, for now.
See you later,
