Lloyd Evans has narrated this article for you to listen to.

I’m thinking of becoming a magistrate. Before applying, I was advised to attend a few sessions and find out how it all works. My first case was a bag theft from a London pub. The accused, an Algerian football ace, pleaded guilty through an interpreter. The court heard that his glittering football career had been cut short by ‘an accident’ and he was currently living in London ‘with the support of friends’. The magistrate, a kindly, soft-spoken redhead, fined him £60 and made a note of his ‘good character’. She reduced his fine by £20 as a reward for pleading guilty. The defendant lounged against the rail of the dock looking irritable and impatient as his sentence was pronounced.

Outside the court, he spoke to his lawyer without a translator. Perhaps he used the interpreter as a ploy to make himself appear more harmless and passive. The case struck me as an outrage. The fine of £40 seemed a tiny penalty for stealing a woman’s purse and other belongings on a Friday night. What he deserved was a passage back to Algeria where his countrymen could enjoy the benefits of his good character.

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