A MISSING lawyer, a missing defendant and a missing charge sheet were among the problems which tested the judicial temperament of a magistrate yesterday.
Chicks which had been turned into chickens, the description of private property as a public place and a 'dumb' defendant were all part of a morning's work for Robert Edwards.
The North Kowloon magistrate was hearing 'urgent' cases during the public holiday sitting.
He complained that more than an hour after the court session should have begun, he had been able to deal with only two short cases.
An absent defence lawyer, still taking instructions from a client, held up proceedings further.
'So everyone is not ready. I wonder when that will be - 5 pm?' asked the magistrate.
After fining a British student for being drunk and disorderly in Wan Chai, Mr Edwards found that another defendant had been taken to hospital rather than court.
