The Illusion Cracks

– and We’re Just Getting Started

As you may be aware today was our CTX case in Newcastle. It was a win for 75% but the judge played the “not my jurisdiction card. ” In spite of it being him who opened the door.

The outcome?

The Charging Order was quashed. Technically a win – practically, a foregone conclusion. The Council had boxed itself in and was always going to fold.

But the victory matters: it eliminates the threat, resets the field, and gives the defendant her breathing room back.

That alone is worth celebrating.

The courtroom dance?
The judge only wanted to talk about the Trust and the Charging Order — and we weren’t having it.

Every time he tried to swerve the real issue — the liability order — we dragged him back into the fire.

He claimed “neutrality,” but with his gaze glued to a pre-written judgment on his screen, the illusion of fairness wore thin.

We challenged. And challenged again.

His default defence?

“This is not the forum to decide that.”

Funny — because that’s exactly what we came to decide.

When it came to the counterclaim, he shut the door.

His logic?

The council had made an application, not a claim, so technically, we had no standing to counterclaim harm.

Not even when that harm stemmed from a void instrument weaponised against a woman’s home.

But then… the slip.

He mentioned Judicial Review (classic diversion tactic) — but then let the words “Part 7 claim” fall. That’s not a door closing. That’s one opening.

Then came the Liability Order debate.

The council trotted out Kofa para 29, where the judge said he hadn’t been provided with anything suggesting the LO needed to be made.

We flipped that on its head: not being shown something doesn’t mean it doesn’t need to exist.

We reminded him:

the abolition of a prescribed form doesn’t mean the abolition of the order itself. It must still be made.
Recorded.
Available.
Transparent.

That’s not just good practice. It’s statutory law.

He danced around it — calling it “procedural.”

We called it what it was: void ab initio.

He wasn’t budging.

But the tension in the room was palpable.

Then came the squiggles.

He produced three alleged “orders.”

2 had a judge’s name.

Another, just a squiggle. No name. No trail.

We reminded him:

under law, if a legal adviser signs on behalf of a magistrate, they must print their name beneath — it’s about authenticity and accountability.

He muttered about MCA s.109(3) — electronic signatures.

Fine, we said — but an e-signature is still a signature.

A printed name or meaningless doodle doesn’t cut it.

He argued this was “good enough.”

Would he accept a non-judicially empowered secretary saying “it’s all fine, trust me”?

Of course not.

And yet… here we are.

Even the council’s barrister wanted him to settle the LO issue. But the judge refused.

Too hot to handle, perhaps?

Then came the costs.

The council’s silk tried a stunt — proposed no-costs.

But the judge reminded us we’d refused their withdrawal request, so they were “entitled” to claim their £3,500+VAT for two hours of theatre.

We pushed back. If the council had done its job properly and verified the facts, none of us would be here.

Didn’t matter.

He then decided to split the win: 75/25 — net result, zero-costs.

We accepted it.

Tactical move. Live to fight the next round.

Final insult?

He read his judgment from a screen.

Pre-loaded. Pre-cooked. And possibly — pre-decided.

What We Gained

Charging order quashed
No costs awarded
We exposed the judge’s refusal to address the elephant in the room
We fought every inch — and didn’t flinch
We learned.
We adapted.
And we left stronger.

Where Next?

Let it lie? Possibly.

But the door is wide open.

A Part 7 Claim in the High Court would flip the script — we’d be the Claimant. This time, we control the narrative.

We sue. For harm. For breach. For abuse of process.

And we drag the CTX illusion into the light — piece by piece.

That decision, though, belongs to my friend. I was merely her McKenzie friend.

Warrior Status: Activated

Her growth has been nothing short of phenomenal.

The frightened woman from eight months ago is gone.

What remains is a woman who walked into a courtroom where the odds were fixed — and walked out undefeated, unbilled, and undaunted.

The warrior queen has found her voice.

And the illusion?

It’s starting to crack.

And thanks to the 36 people who turned up in support. Your presence made the difference and you were all appreciated.

—Vinny