The film is set in 1920. At that time, it would have been very unusual to have a couple with mixed races (black/white), a black criminal judge or an Asian policewoman, as shown in the film. The ethnic minority characters are a modern phenomenon which unfortunately look anomalous. Also, the "offence" of libel which forms the basis of the trial is a civil matter and not a criminal one. There was no law requiring someone to wear a helmet on a motorbike until 1973 so it would not have been illegal in 1920, and the child protection service (mentioned several times during the film) was not established until 1989.