Thousands of licence fee hearings are being held in secret with defendants and their lawyers not allowed to attend

 
‘Tens of thousands of people every year are being convicted for not holding a TV Licence in hearings held behind closed doors.
They are being sentenced by magistrates in office rooms with no access for defendants, the public or press.
Lawyers are also not allowed in, even though they can result in people being fined up to £1,000 and getting a criminal record.
The revelation comes after the Mail this week exposed the underhand tactics used by the BBC’s licence fee officers.
A TV Licensing manager told an undercover reporter that officers are incentivised to catch as many evaders as possible so they can be taken to court and fined.’
Read more: Thousands of licence fee hearings are being held in secret with defendants and their lawyers not allowed to attend