More courtroom shenanigans

Gary Slapper’s most recent entry in his tireless exploration of those weird and wacky cases that are peppered throughout case law touches on a rather mischievous topic: bare faced cheek.

From the Times 02/04/09:

Faced with a tough legal challenge, a law academic should be able to strip away anything superficial and quickly get to the bottom of the matter.

Megumi Ogawa, a lecturer in law, did that unconventionally when representing herself in an Australian trial recently. Unimpressed by the prosecution’s case against her, she lowered her trousers and bared her buttocks at the judge.

For presenting her rebuttal in that way, she was given a predictably poor mark and jailed for four months for contempt by the Brisbane District Court.

[D]uring the trial, she was forcibly removed from the court several times for sustained high-pitched screaming, making statements calculated to bring the justice system into disrepute and violent wrestling with security officers.

(As opposed to gentle/peaceful wrestling, I suppose?)

All this talk of mooning at a judge reminds me of a Christmas card design stocked by professional gift specialist, Carbolic Smoke Ball:Great stuff.

More from the Times:
The award for most impassive unclothed contempt goes jointly to Mssrs Gohoho and Gough. After being ordered to pay £50 into court as a security payment in 1964 for a forthcoming action, Mr Moses Gohoho manifested his despair in the High Court in London by removing his trousers and underpants and lying on the court bench in front of the judges.

What an exotic name: Moses Gohoho. It rather lends itself to some kind of smutty play on words – Austin Powers’ style. But what an eyeful it must have been for the judges, who surely couldn’t have missed it; unlike magistrates, High court judges wouldn’t dare be caught ‘resting their eyes’. Cue the previous post!