Citizen's arrest

A Justice of the Peace (JP) in Scotland hears criminal cases such as theft, assault, breach of the peace and road traffic offences in the local courts.

This car was parked on a yellow line outside the Sheriff Court when I arrived for jury service this morning, and was still there when I left several hours later.

Heart still bursting with civic pride, I felt it was my public duty to let a passing traffic warden know that a member of the judiciary was blatantly breaking the law. I sat on my high horse and waited, camera at the ready, to capture the moment when a judge was brought to justice.

But the photo opportunity was denied me. Having checked the car, my new friend the traffic warden told me that it had a disabled badge, and could therefore stay where it was ‘until hell freezes over’.

Song.