Lunch with Sheriff Greg Jones
13th January 2025Old Bailey
I was fortunate enough to be invited to lunch at the Old Bailey, at the invitation of Sheriff Gregory Jones KC, along with an eclectic mix of guests, including His Excellency Manar Dabbas, the Jordanian Ambassador in London, Alderman Sir Peter Estlin, Ms Parmy Olson (the prize winning author of "Supremacy", on power in the AI industry and Mr Odvar Bjerkholt, also an AI lawyer.
Besides the Recorder of London and other High Court Judges at the table, our Past Master Fiona Adler joined us in her capacity as Secondary, decked out in her black uniform. Over a most enjoyable light lunch (necessary to ensure nobody goes to sleep in court after lunch), I had some interesting conversations on the practicalities of running a court system which covers many of the most serious crimes that are committed in London, together with a variety of subjects that included ADHD and my engineering history.
Fiona also organised for us to sit in on a recently started counter-terrorism case in Court 3. (Court 3 had to be chosen due to security requirements, which also included the prisoner in the dock being surrounded by several prison officers).
The prisoner is accused of attempted murder and other offences against one or more if his warders, at a high securiry prison unit in Kent. I listened to some very sobering testimony about how prison officers have to handle fanatical/psychotic prisoners, together with watching a video recording of part of the happenings at the time of the most serious offence within the list of indictments.
It made one realise how difficult it is to be a prison warder and how under valued they are for the work they do. Not a job that I would care to have to do!
All in all a very interesting visit to the Old Bailey!