Apocrypha 18

When I had just been sworn in somebody told me that a Justice of the Peace was empowered to visit any prison within the Commission area for which he sat, at any hour of the day or night, and inspect the condition of the prisoners.

"I shouldn't bother though" said my informant. "They'll only tell you to get lost, probably speaking through the letterbox".

That was my first realisation that I had greater power in theory than in practice.