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“I APPRECIATE everything that you’ve done,” Judge Jonathan Svetkey told a team of defence lawyers at a recent Night Court arraignment in Manhattan. The lawyers had asked for their client to be released under supervision. They had been working on getting mental-health services and a bed for the night. The judge was sceptical the defendant would accompany them to a shelter. “What if he says, ‘I’m going the other way?’ What are you going to do?” He set bail for $5,000. Judge Svetkey moved on; Night Court usually must handle 70-90 cases a shift.
By day, Manhattan’s Criminal Court is a bustling building. Long queues snake through the metal detectors at the entrance. Lawyers, jurors, defendants and police fill the corridors. But come 5pm, the building clears out, except for two courtrooms, which remain open until 1am to handle arraignments.
Night Court has been around a long time, and without it, New York City’s criminal courts would be even more badly backlogged than they already are. These days, however, late shifts in courts also reflect a national effort to use alternative hours to improve efficiency and engender public trust in the justice system.
To aid rule-breaking drivers who hold down day jobs, many Californian counties offer late hours for traffic court, from 5pm-7.30pm. Forced online by covid, courts around the country continue to hold virtual hearings. Getting to court might be unsafe if someone needs a protection order against a violent partner, so Cook County, which includes Chicago, offers remote proceedings from 9pm until 3am on weekdays, as well as on weekend afternoons. Alternative hours can be used to increase participation, among other benefits, says Danielle Hirsch of the National Centre for State Courts, a non-profit group that promotes court innovations.
Swamped by criminal defendants, New York embraced alternative hours before it was a cause of better-government types. Until 2003, Manhattan’s arraignment court was open 24 hours a day. A third session known as the “lobster shift” ran from 1am until 9am. But during the 1990s, Gotham became one of the safest big cities in America. Fewer arrests meant fewer arraignments. More recently district attorneys have stopped prosecuting marijuana-possession cases, which used to jam up arraignment court. But the remaining shift of Night Court remains busy most nights.
Arrests related to domestic-violence are rising. The influx of migrants has put a strain on the city’s social and judicial services. More migrants are appearing before a criminal-court judge, often for shoplifting necessities such as nappies or stealing something to sell on. A few face charges for more serious crimes such as assault.
New York City law requires, with some exceptions, that defendants appear before a judge within 24 hours of arrest. It would be difficult to meet this goal without Night Court. The arraignment process is no different from during the day. The prosecutor presents the charges and requests that the defendant post bail, be released under supervision or be remanded to jail. Perhaps because it is night, however, some of the emotions seem heightened and many of the defendants can look fragile. Shelter and other services are not as readily available at a late hour, which can be especially worrying on cold winter nights.
Late-night feelings
As in day court, many defendants have mental-health issues and some suffer from drug addiction. Most are poor. Some do not have coats. One former Legal Aid Society lawyer says she had to run out to a 24-hour pharmacy to buy shoes for a client. Taramanie Sukhu, an arraignment supervisor, often shares food.
Ed McCarthy, of Legal Aid, has been working Night Court for more than two decades. He says there is not always a social worker available in the evening or on weekends. (Court is in session seven days and nights each week in New York City.) Defendants can languish at Rikers Island, the city’s largest and most notorious jail, Mr McCarthy says, “only because there’s nobody to offer a programme or a way of giving judges reasons to release you.”
Aubrey Fox of New York City Criminal Justice Agency, a charity supporting pre-trial defendants, says that an infrastructure to promote release instead of detention does function quietly in the background. For every person held at Rikers, nine are released into the community. Many are candidates for treatment and other social services. About 85% make all their court dates. “That gives judges more confidence that if they release someone they will be taken care of,” Mr Fox says.
Night Court is one place where this triage begins. The public gallery tends to be quiet, except for the occasional family member. One family drove from Michigan when a close relative was arrested. The late-shift courtrooms also attract tourists. Kathrin Kolvenbach, a trainee lawyer from Germany, said she had heard about it from a guidebook. She was there to learn about America’s court system. Others are there to gawk, looking for gritty entertainment. Tourists give Night Court tips to each other on Tripadvisor, a travel website. One defence lawyer said seeing tourists, who tend to be white Europeans, leaves a bad taste in her mouth and unsettles her clients, who are mostly African-American or Hispanic.
Krystal Rodriguez, policy head of the Data Collaborative for Justice at John Jay College, says arraignments both night and day are a “snapshot of how the criminal-justice system becomes the unfortunate repository for all these other social issues that outside of the criminal legal system we haven’t been able to address”. Many Americans learned about Night Court from an eponymous sitcom that ran from 1984 until 1992. It was recently rebooted and is not very funny. There are few laughs in the real one either. ■
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On July 20, Andy Burnham has been chosen to be the next Prime Minister in UK. The appointment of a new Prime Minister in the United Kingdom often raises questions from people outside the country, especially when no nationwide election has taken place. Many wonder how a new national leader can assume office without voters casting ballots. The answer lies in the UK’s parliamentary system, where the Prime Minister is not directly elected by the public but is instead chosen based on who commands the confidence of the House of Commons.
How the UK Selects Its Prime Minister
Unlike presidential systems where citizens vote directly for the head of government, the United Kingdom elects Members of Parliament (MPs) during a general election. The political party that secures a majority of seats in the House of Commons usually forms the government, and that party selects its own leader to serve as Prime Minister.
If the leader resigns, becomes unable to continue, or is replaced by their party, the governing party can choose a new leader without triggering a general election. As long as the new leader is able to maintain the confidence of Parliament, they can immediately become Prime Minister after being formally appointed by the monarch.
Why No Election Was Required
A general election is not automatically required every time the office of Prime Minister changes hands. The governing party retains its parliamentary majority because voters elected MPs rather than an individual Prime Minister. If the ruling party chooses a new leader through its internal leadership process, the government continues to operate without interruption.
This constitutional arrangement provides stability and allows the government to continue functioning during periods of political transition. It also avoids the expense and disruption of holding a nationwide election every time party leadership changes.
The King’s Constitutional Role
After a governing party elects a new leader, the monarch invites that individual to form a government. This constitutional step is largely ceremonial and follows long-established conventions. The King appoints the person most likely to command a majority in the House of Commons, ensuring continuity of government.
Although the monarch formally appoints the Prime Minister, political power rests with Parliament and the elected representatives of the British people.
Could an Election Still Happen?
Yes. A newly appointed Prime Minister has the authority to request a general election if they believe it is politically advantageous or if they seek a stronger public mandate. Parliament can also reach a point where a government loses the confidence of the House of Commons, potentially leading to an election or the formation of a new government.
In many cases, however, a new Prime Minister continues governing until the next scheduled general election.
What This Means for the UK
The UK’s parliamentary democracy is designed to ensure government continuity while respecting the results of the most recent general election. Leadership changes within the governing party do not automatically alter the composition of Parliament, which is why a new Prime Minister can take office without another nationwide vote.
Understanding this process helps explain why political transitions in the United Kingdom can appear different from those in countries with presidential systems. While the Prime Minister may change, the democratic mandate of Parliament remains in place until voters elect a new House of Commons at the next general election.
On July 21, 2026, global economic analysis shifts focus toward a defining structural macroeconomic trend: the massive expansion of public and private capital deployment into high-capacity electrical grid infrastructure. As industrial electrification, automated data center hubs, and renewable energy integration accelerate worldwide, sovereign governments and institutional investors are facing a monumental economic challenge. Updating legacy power grids to meet skyrocketing demand has emerged as a primary driver of long-term capital expenditures and industrial productivity across both developed and emerging market economies.
According to international economic policy updates released this week, grid infrastructure investments are projected to exceed multi-trillion-dollar thresholds over the coming decade. Economic planners caution that without modernized, high-voltage transmission networks, regional manufacturing sectors face severe energy bottlenecks, localized power price volatility, and operational constraints. Consequently, infrastructure spending is rapidly transitioning from passive utility maintenance into a vital component of national economic competitiveness and industrial policy.
The macroeconomic ripple effects of this capital deployment are being felt across global commodity markets and labor networks. High demand for structural industrial inputs—such as copper, aluminum, specialized electrical steel, and high-capacity transformers—has created sustained pricing support for critical material producers. Simultaneously, the specialized technical labor required to manufacture and deploy modern grid hardware is driving wage growth in industrial sectors, adding a complex new layer to central bank disinflation trajectories.
For global policymakers and strategic investors, the economics of energy grid modernization represent a double-edged sword. While massive infrastructure investment boosts short-term gross domestic product (GDP) and strengthens domestic industrial foundations, it requires disciplined fiscal allocation to prevent inflationary crowding-out of private capital. Countries that efficiently streamline grid infrastructure permitting and mobilize private investment will secure lower long-term energy costs, attracting high-tech manufacturing and reinforcing sustainable economic growth.
The international trade architecture entering the second half of 2026 is undergoing a profound structural pivot. As major sovereign economic blocs adjust to the long-term impact of unilateral tariffs and escalating regional subsidies, traditional globalized supply chains are being rapidly replaced by bilateral trade corridors and regional alliance networks. Data released in late July 2026 highlights a significant divergence: while cross-continental freight volumes between non-aligned partners have cooled, intra-regional trade throughout North America, Southeast Asia, and Eastern Europe has surged to record levels. This shift reflects a broader macroeconomic strategy wherein multinational corporations prioritize geopolitical resilience over pure cost minimization.
The primary economic catalyst behind this regionalization is the proliferation of sector-specific tariffs targeting critical industries, notably battery components, clean energy technology, and advanced semiconductor hardware. In response, global manufacturers have adopted multi-tier sourcing models that distribute production across intermediate partner nations before final assembly. While this strategy successfully bypasses primary import duties, it adds structural layers of logistical complexity and administrative oversight. Economists note that while total output remains robust, aggregate production costs have drifted upward, contributing to persistent baseline inflation across major consumer markets.
Simultaneously, currency settlement patterns within these regional blocs are experiencing a notable transformation. Sovereign central banks and commercial institutions are increasingly utilizing localized currency swap lines and digital clearing mechanisms to settle cross-border trade transactions. This transition reduces direct exposure to foreign exchange volatility and mitigates third-party liquidity constraints, further solidifying regional economic cohesion. However, for developing economies situated outside these primary trading alliances, the tightening of international trade networks presents severe challenges, restricting access to key export markets and foreign direct investment.
For corporate strategists and policy analysts navigating late 2026, success requires a thorough understanding of these emerging trade corridors. Organizations must conduct regular risk assessments of their multi-tier supplier networks, model tariff sensitivities under shifting geopolitical scenarios, and invest in real-time supply chain telemetry. As regional economic blocs strengthen their regulatory borders, supply chain agility and compliance fortitude will distinguish market leaders from vulnerable enterprises in the evolving global economy.
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