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WS, I recommend careful reading of Drxx’s posts. And “no” and “no” to hour questions.

Sorry! Your questions. Butterfingers, Jack!

Thanks Jack Aubrey

I will battle on, though grid staring doesn't rock my boat. Probably a better use of time than watching a recording of the weekend game!

And look also at Quisling’s wise words anent grid staring…..

Achieved a full grid in reasonable time. Eventually got all the right extra words/message. After much pondering I have, I think, got the bulk of the end game, but appear to be 4 (possibly 5) cells short of perfection 😐 Does that seem like the right track?

Scratch the previous message! I now have 29 of the required 30 (or a justifiable 34/35). Hmmm.

Granama1, that sounds unlikely. You require few words. And leaving the defence aside, the 30 cells comprise two congruent shapes. My post #53, and Drxx’s extremely well judged suggestions, might help if you scroll back

Thank's Quisling. I resolved the problem in the end. I had missed the fact that something started with ?' and my potential 3rd item involved in the court case was actually the precursor to the entry in the grid. Somewhere along the line I'd forgotten that they had become magistrates! 😄

As others have said the theme was a little obscure - although the hidden message is supposed to have become an English calque (a term I hadn't heard before, along with the expression). Wiki, as ever, proved to be and endgame essential!

Like pulling teeth this week for me. Have crawled my way to a full grid minus one letter, can't work out my last clue at all. Have the message and the two word defence, plus a few examples of the thematic items. No idea what to do now. First impenetrable endgame for a while.

Will continue to ponder and hope inspiration strikes.

SH you are not looking for lots of thematic items as has been said earlier in this thread. Think more of a cryptic representation of the judges instruction.