Thread by @GeorgeJulian

I read 114 Prevention of Future Deaths Reports today, every one issued and uploaded to MoJ site this yr. I do this every few months and it never fails to make my nerves jangle. So much disregard for certain lives, with occasional glimmers of humanity.

Always such a mixed bag
1/

Emailed Kent Coroners Court earlier this week asking to attend a PIR remotely next Wednesday. Pointed out Chief Coroner's guidance on #OpenJustice. I'm in Devon and don't consider that it would be safe or proportionate for myself to attend court in person for a short hearing

2/

Doing so would involve at least 11 hours travelling on public transport and an overnight stay, and expose myself to what I consider to be approximately 30 hours of unnecessary risk.

Press perfectly able to attend remotely if Coroner allows.

3/

Got a response tonight:

'Please note that court is open and running and risk assessments have been undertaken so press and members of the public can have unfettered access to the inquest proceedings'.

4/

'In regards to your concerns surrounding travel, please note that the time taken to get to court is for your convenience alone and is not a sufficient reason for the Coroner to disapply section 9 of the Contempt of Court Act'.

Where to go with this.

5/

Time taken to get to court is for my convenience. What does that mean?

I live in Devon and under normal circumstances would travel to court to attend, but these are not normal circumstances.

I'm not choosing a pandemic. I am not imagining risk #OpenJustice #Covid19

6/

Also reference to having to vary the contempt of court act, like they have to fire up a cauldron, do a special dance, sprinkle some magic water.

It's simply a case of reading out a warning and providing an audio link. As so many others have managed. We are a year into this.

7/

I appreciate that some press may prefer 'unfettered access' to the court itself, but this removing being in court from travelling to court, from the other side of the country, IMO explicitly pays no regard to public safety, mine or others.

8/

It also allows zero regard for anyone who needs to shield (I don't) or who has caring responsibilities due to Covid19 (I do).

I'll just have to apply for a copy of the recording after the PIR has happened, but can't help feeling disappointed at this response.

9/

On a related note, to end, the thread I wrote this morning after Laura Booth's 8th PIR that I attended, remotely, on Monday

https://twitter.com/GeorgeJulian/status/1372452018313437188

More on PFDs and the lottery of coronial open justice another time /END