Rather than detaining people indefinitely without trial, magistrates were required to let defendants go free before seeing a judge, guaranteeing their return to court with a bond.
Six months after the holiday, and shortly before he was due to face trial, magistrates told Platt he had no case to answer.
A trial magistrates court in Southport, which will exclusively handle domestic and family violence matters, will begin hearing cases next month.
The pre-trial magistrates' hearings were attended by "many privileged and curious persons ... including not a few ladies", according to the Manchester Guardian.
The suspects must wait until May 7 to hear whether the Namibian prosecutor general will refer the case to Namibia's High Court for trial, the magistrate ruled.
But academics fear that a custodial sentence would inspire demonstrators to cause more damage in future – because it would remove the incentive to seek a trial by magistrate rather than trial by jury.
During most of the trial, the magistrate, Victor Lugaju -- who had only recently attained his position -- seemed overwhelmed, speaking in a barely audible voice and letting Mr. Botha's often boisterous lawyers run on at length.
The Army psychiatrist accused of killing 13 people at Fort Hood, Tex., in a mass shooting this month will be confined until his military trial, a magistrate ruled on Saturday, The Associated Press reported.
The health of Lauri Love, 31, who lives with his parents in Newmarket, Suffolk, would deteriorate and he may have a mental breakdown if sent overseas for a lengthy trial, Westminster magistrates court in London heard.
