cases and thereby dragging out Magistrates' Court obligations.

Acting Senior Magistrate Edward King spoke out after defence lawyer Elizabeth Christopher failed to appear for a case that has been drawn out since July 2000.

Defence lawyer Victoria Pearman's pupil, Craig Attridge, was holding for Ms Christopher and requested an adjournment until July 18 because Ms Christopher had Supreme Court matters.

Mr. King became upset and said: "It's fallacy to believe the Supreme Court takes precedent (over Magistrates' Court). The Magistrates' Court feeds the Supreme Court.

"If you plug up the Magistrates' Court, the Supreme Court must grind to a halt,'' he added.

"Counsel had enough time to tell the Registrar of the Supreme Court that the other case was a long drawn out matter in Magistrates' Court. I know the Registrar makes exceptions,'' said Mr. King. Mr. King issued an arrest warrant in the same situation yesterday for Larry Mussenden's client, Dwayne Burrows, after neither of the two appeared for trial.

Mr. Mussenden was dealing with a case in the Supreme Court and sent pupil Anthony Richardson to request an adjournment.

Ms Christopher's clients, however, were in court today despite the absence of their lawyer.

Mr. King said precedent had been set in the Supreme Court, that no case should ever be so drawn out.

He said then-Chief Justice Brown said "That sort of situation should never happen again.'' Mr. King continued: "You can give the defendant 48 hours to get a new attorney if their one can't come. A man is entitled to a lawyer of his choice if the lawyer is available.'' Talking about lawyers, Mr. King said: "If you represent Harry, Tom, Dick, June and me, when my day comes, whose case do you prefer to do? June's or mine?'' Mr. King said a man spent 18 months in jail because the case was continually drawn out although he was being tried for a charge with a maximum penalty of 12 months.

He set the case down for July 16, adding that there would be no further adjournments granted at the request of defence.