Primal Sneeze

Bryan Mukandi wrote an excellent post about how nascent African states tend to adopt the governmental practices of the former colonial power.

I am not going to expand on what he wrote or on the points made in the lively discussion it spawned – I have said my piece about how Ireland continues to follow Britain’s lead to this day – however it does remind me of the story of the new African country who, while implementing their version of the British statute book, invited a retired Old Bailey judge to inspect their progress.

The first case he observed was of a man accused of adultery with no less than 14 women. The man denied meeting all of these women of the dates mentioned although his alibis were weak to say the least.

The Minister for Justice met with the judge later to hear his report. Excellent overall, said the judge. Just one thing is baffling me – why did your judge and ushers allow that small gentleman to fondle the breasts to the ladies in the gallery? And repeatedly! Such behaviour would not be permitted in a British court of law.

Oh but it is a requirement, said the minister producing a large tome of Old Bailey adultery case reports. See here. It says “each time the accused offered an alibi a little titter ran around the courtroom”.

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