Old Bailey and a Guest Speaker

No pictures for today's adventures... Today was a pretty mellow day, it started with a walk to Old Bailey. We were met there by a reporter who told us all about Old Bailey's history and New Gate prison that was once in this location. He told us about an outbreak of typhoid, people getting boiled, and then we got the chance to go in and see a trial. We were under the impression that we could go to any trial in the courts but were shot down upon our arrival at security, there two women who told us come up but then told us to go back. We ended up waiting about 45 minutes to go through security and then were put in a murder trial but it was just he closing arguments, so it wasn't very heated and exciting. The trial was for 10 defendants being charged with murder and the barrister told the jury that ultimately they would be decided on 40 charges.
The barristers and judge were all dressed in their gowns and wigs, which frankly are hideous, they kind of look like a perm gone wrong with two rat tails dangling from the back. Real classy... The closing arguments were rather long and can go on for hours.
We left the public gallery and headed back to the hotel so we could head the ISA building, because we had a guest speaker meeting us there. Thomas Macmanus he met us there and discussed the two systems; we discussed the similarities and differences of the United States system and the UK's system. We discussed how the USA's system developed from the UK's system but how they each have evolved into different systems. He was a good speaker and made sure that we understood everything he was explaining to us. We talked about all of the courts and it put all of our visits into perspective and answered any questions that we might have had from previous visits. Today was a good day but we have to go to bed quite early tonight because tomorrow we are Paris bound and we are leaving the hotel at 3:45! It will be worth it to experience a new city!!