Occupy London’s fledgling Occupy Justice campaign will find out this morning whether it can continue occupying a disused Shoreditch magistrates’ court, where its members have been holed up since 20 December.
An adjournment to the interim possession order proceedings brought against Occupy by the court’s property developer owner, Mastcraft Limited, will buy the protesters several weeks in which to complete their objective of conducting a series of “trials of the 1%”.
But an eviction notice will see Occupy forced to leave the premises within 24 hours.
In the event of the latter scenario, Occupy has spent the festive period lining up lawyers and a judge to preside over a quick-fire mock trial of a high profile banker that will take place this afternoon. Occupy spokesperson Naomi Colvin told Legal Cheek that the group has already secured the services of two solicitors and a retired judge.
If Occupy is successful in securing its adjournment, these lawyer volunteers will form the core of a legal team that the group hopes to supplement with jobless law graduates. To volunteer to assist with the trials, which could provide some interesting experience for wannabe legal aid lawyers but may not impress City firms, please email alex@legalcheek.com and I’ll pass your details on to Occupy London. If the proposed trials go ahead, they will be filmed and shown on independent internet TV channel visiONtv.
The interim possession order hearing against Occupy London starts today at 10.30am at Gee Street County Court in Clerkenwell, central London. Occupy is representing itself with assistance from the Advisory Service for Squatters.
Yesterday Legal Cheek visited the occupied magistrates’ court building on the corner of Old Street and Hoxton Street in East London – and found the old prison cells particularly creepy. Take your own tour here:
