"Not only must justice be done; it must also be seen to be done."

The infamous phrase was coined almost 90 years ago by the Lord Chief Justice Lord Hewett.

And it remains as true today as it did in 1923.

Open justice is a basic tenet of the British legal system and means that the overwhelming majority of criminal court cases are held in public.

That long-established principle also allows the Telegraph & Argus and other media to report on the proceedings- a process that goes some way to demonstrate that justice is being seen to be done.

The T&A makes no apology for exercising this right and we send our reporters to courts on a daily basis as we firmly believe it is one of our core duties to inform our readers of events happening in the public domain.

The ensuing publicity, of course, can also often lead to critical comments about the way judges have dealt with individual cases.

Shipley MP Philip Davies, for example, has earned himself something of a reputation for being outspoken of 'soft sentences' being meted out.

And that has led him to be invited to attend Bradford Crown Court by the Recorder of Bradford, Judge Roger Thomas, to view for himself how cases were dealt with and learn about problems within the judicial system.

Mr Davies has described the experience as insightful and has pledged to take up judges' concerns about some aspects of the criminal justice system in Parliament.

Now, Judge Thomas has gone a step further by actively urging more members of the public to attend court and see for themselves how the wheels of justice turn.

It is to be hoped people act on his call and see for themselves how the judiciary works. For some, it might even provide a new-found respect for the law of the land.