Jock's Place - Taking liberties - Comments

I'm just waiting for

Paul Lockett — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 18:54:11 +0000

I'm just waiting for somebody to suggest outlawing all clothing that isn't see-though. It's surely just a matter of time.

I perhaps ought to say that

Jock — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 10:44:45 +0000

I perhaps ought to say that I know quite a few current and former Thames Valley officers on first name terms and I have always had respect for them and what they do. So I really hope that this one guy in particular is one of a "few bad aples". But if that was my experience of contact with the police I would feel the same.

It is amazing that we

Stephen — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 09:20:41 +0000

It is amazing that we prevent as many terrorist attacks as we do with utter plonkers like thesde 'protecting' us. I have no doubt that as a law abiding person in 2008, I would consider the police to a significant threat to my well being.

Thanks Mike - I am sure, as

Jock — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 03:52:54 +0000

Thanks Mike - I am sure, as your comment implies, that the "Fourth" is being abused, and that things like the Patriot Act are severely testing its very existence. At least you've got one though, and in theory, a judicial branch that could uphold it. We have neither. Or at least any judge who would would be condemned as an "activist judge" rather than one fulfilling their constitutional role!

4th Amendment

Mike Haubrich, FCD — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 02:52:40 +0000

If you were to have the likes of our 4th Amendment I would only hope that you would put it to better use than we have.

...and I thought all London

Jock — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 19:42:17 +0000

...and I thought all London policemen eventually moved to Goathland!

That is absolutely

Peter Mc — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 19:24:34 +0000

That is absolutely astonishing and infuriating. (Glad I live in North Yorkshire where we see a policeman and assume he's lost.)

I'm very glad it was not

Jock — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 18:33:51 +0000

I'm very glad it was not me. It can take hours to verify my address because of perpetual cock-ups and confusion over the electoral roll and my landlord's propensity for changing my address o a whim. I have, however, just in case, taken any ID with an address on for me out of my wallet and will not be carrying them on me any more.

That reminds me - that Fourth Amendment is the thing that's used to stop US officials rummaging through your bin rubbish like the bin spooks in Britain are doing isn't it?

Yeah - I wondered about the

Jock — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 12:39:39 +0000

Yeah - I wondered about the guilty plea negating any claim to mens rea. I got a bit confused because even though it says he pled guilty the quote from the barrister at the bottom of the article says the test for indecency is objective, decided by the jury. Aside from the fact that that's a contradiciton in terms, I now suspect the quoted barrister was nothing to do with the case at all.

As for minimum sentencing, this, coupled with the newish scheme of indefinate sentencing is a very serious issue.

I guess any lawyers reading

Andrew — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 01:24:10 +0000

I guess any lawyers reading would have a far better idea than I, but from the BJP page it seems he pleaded guilty, negating the need for a jury to decide whether what he was doing was lawful or not. He may have done so to prevent a lengthy embarrassing trial (I seem to remember a R4 programme about Operation Ore putting pressure on defendants to plead guilty and keep it quiet, when in reality, they may be didn't have enough for a decent conviction). Therefore the concept of mens rea wouldn't apply, surely?

As for the 150 hours service instead of an "absolute discharge" - minimum sentencing perhaps?

So I think the problem could come down to the fact that the police themselves aren't really sure of the law, and judges are obliged to hand out sentences irrespective of the individual cases.

The home hub is evil anyway.

Tristan Mills — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 21:18:34 +0000

The home hub is evil anyway. It pollutes the HF radio spectrum horribly, with no concern for other users...
(this is what you get without solid property rights...)

Then vote no by adding your

Tim Carpenter — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 16:16:43 +0000

Then vote no by adding your own box to the ballot paper and putting a cross into it.

It will be recorded as a spoilt ballot. It will not be brushed aside as "apathy" or an excuse to come up with bogus, fraudulent alternatives to voting.

60% of votes cast in Zimbabwe were spoilt ballots.

400,000 (half of Ken Livingstone first choicers) were spoilt ballots.

Good stuff

Anonymous — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 18:25:11 +0000

I've sent a letter to my MP, Doug Naysmith, but as yet no reply. Doubt it'll make much difference but like you say..can't say he wasn't lobbied.

42 day limit

Curly — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 11:41:08 +0000

I fear that the British government is becoming more dangerous than those it proposes to protect us from.