I have my day in court.

I visited the Supreme Court the other week, because I’d heard how friendly and hospitable they trying to be – I assumed that like any government institution this would involve giving you a body cavity search and a bookmark before telling you to sod back off to the provinces from whence you came, or that some shonky roadshow would be touring the shires in a second-hand blood donor trailer.

I was frankly quite shocked to be welcomed into the building and given free rein – you can wander unencumbered about the building when the court isn’t in session I told the kindly young woman on the information desk that such openness in a civic body made me nervous, which left her somewhat nonplussed.

It was amazing though – an exhibition in the basement showcases the funky ‘pop art’ carpet and tells you the history of the court. Did you know, for instance, that in 1941 one of the Law Lords said that any detention in the UK was ‘prima facie unlawful’ unless the detainer could prove otherwise? Fascinating stuff - it seems to be the principle, though not the practice, of modern law.

There’s a tremendous pride, patriotism and love for the law present as you wander through the courtrooms, something that can’t be matched by Parliament with its partisan chicanery. The Supreme Court left me feeling perfectly inspired, and more to the point, safe. Though I never did get that bookmark.