A judge is being investigated after he was accused of falling asleep during a child rape trial at Manchester Crown Court, forcing it to be abandoned.
Philip Cattan fell asleep as an alleged victim was cross-examined. The trial will now be re-listed as the jury was dismissed.
If he is found guilty of misconduct, any disciplinary action will be decided by the Lord Chancellor and the Lord Chief Justice.
The Crown Prosecution Service said the jury has been discharged "following an issue that arose at court during the cross examination of the first complainant in the case". "The trial will be relisted as soon as possible. The complainants and other witnesses have been kept informed."
Former solicitor general Vera Baird said she was shocked by the allegation. "It's a pretty personally insulting thing for somebody when you're describing probably the most important event in your life. "But also what does it say about the state, about judicial governance, about the criminal justice system?" She added it would reinforce general views that the judiciary "are out of touch".
seriously, it's one thing to be "feckin bored and im drifting off" but even judge's are human and if it's "i made an error in judgement (har har) in continuing in my job because im physically unable to"... that's excusable for me. still, it doesn't put faith in the system.
should have farted on his nogginseriously, it's one thing to be "feckin bored and im drifting off" but even judge's are human and if it's "i made an error in judgement (har har) in continuing in my job because im physically unable to"... that's excus