点评:Courts 1 (the main, original court), 2 (high-security), 3, 4, 17 & 18 are accessed via an unmarked door near the corner on Newgate St (ring the bell!) but most cases are heard in the New Building, entrance in the tunnel of Warwick Passage, off Old Bailey street.
Queues start forming soon after 09:30 (morning sessions) and 13:30 (afternoon sessions), though doors don't usually open before 10 and 2. Friends and family of those involved have priority, and it takes up to a minute per person to get through security, so best to arrive early and know what you're permitted to take in, otherwise you'll be politely turned away. (An internet search will help: this site won't allow me to give a useful, non-promotional reference, but try "what's on at the old bailey today"). Galleries usually have 3 rows of about 12 seats, but the front rows cannot currently be used, so space is limited - the earlier you arrive the more likely you'll see the court you want.
Some courts might not be sitting on time for various reasons, and visitors get no help understanding what's going on (even the ushers have limited information), so research helps, e.g. news reports.
Most cases are of murder, often harrowing, but the formality helps protect the defendants and mitigates some of the chilling detail. Meticulous analysis and regular breaks can be tiring, but watching a cross-examining barrister challenge a witness or intimidate an evasive defendant is fascinating.
翻译:1 号法院(主要的原始法院)、2 号法院(高度安全)、3 号、4 号、17 号和 18 号法院可通过 Newgate 街拐角处的一扇无标记的门进入(按铃!),但大多数案件在 Newgate 街进行审理。建筑,沃里克通道隧道的入口,位于老贝利街附近。
09:30(上午场)和 13:30(下午场)之后很快就会开始排队,但门通常不会在 10 点和 2 点之前开门。参与者的朋友和家人有优先权,每人最多需要一分钟人要通过安检,所以最好早点到达并知道你可以带什么东西,否则你会被礼貌地拒绝。 (互联网搜索会有所帮助:这个网站不允许我提供有用的、非促销性的参考,但尝试“今天老贝利发生了什么”)。画廊通常有 3 排,每排约 12 个座位,但前排目前无法使用,因此空间有限 - 您到达越早,就越有可能看到您想要的球场。
一些法庭可能会因为各种原因而无法准时开庭,访客无法获得了解正在发生的事情的帮助(即使引座员的信息也有限),因此研究会有所帮助,例如新闻报道。
大多数案件都是谋杀案,往往令人痛苦,但形式有助于保护被告并减轻一些令人毛骨悚然的细节。细致的分析和定期的休息可能会很累人,但观看交叉询问的律师挑战证人或恐吓回避的被告是令人着迷的。