Wow, the gorgeous spring weather continues, though I've had to spend yet again, the best part of this day sorting out paperwork for the small claims case(s) that I've had to pursue - the first District Judge who sat for a directions hearing for the said claims, ordered that I submit one paginated indexed trial bundle to the court, er please write that again in plain English - a what?
I had to look online to decipher exactly what the said instruction (paginated indexed trial bundle) actually meant and in lay persons terms it simply means to put all the documents that are to be used at the trial in a coherent order and to add a contents page, phew thanks to the internet that matter was cleared up for me.
However a second Judge, who probably didn't like me because I say what I mean and I mean what I say, or to put it another way, I'm not a yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir kinda gal - told me I had to submit a paginated indexed trial bundle to the court as well as all of the defendants, which would equal 6 wretched paginated indexed trial bundles. However to have done so would have pushed up costs - hence I saw fit not to obey the second District Judge, so I appealed him, the second Judge held a directions hearing as opposed to allowing my appeal to be heard by an actual appeal Judge, probably because the second Judge knew he was in the wrong. Anyway at the directions hearing the second Judge decided to let me have my own way and he gave me permission to not submit any paginated indexed trial bundles at all. Hooray I thought - until a short while later, the court order pertaining to the said direction hearing turned up - there was no reference at all to those blasted paginated indexed trial bundles.
So the predicament I then faced was the actual trial Judge reprimanding me for not submitting any paginated indexed trial bundles, I wanted to have written proof that the second district Judge said I didn't need to submit the said trial bundles. So I contacted the court office, for clarification on this matter, a few days later the second Judge wrote words to the affect that "Parties may rely on submitted documents for the trial", now how on earth does that adequately address and answer my inquiry? the Judge is being cagey, he's being equivocal, the man did a very good job of not answering my question, whilst making it look as though he was - if this is anything to go by, I had better not await justice with bated breath...