Friday, September 29, 2006

State Stupidity

How somebody thinks this is a good idea baffles me. So called minor offenses will no longer go before the magistrates and will be dealt with by means of a summary 100 pound fine.

Let's set aside any quibbles about police and prosecutors determining guilt. What is mad is that this applies to muggers. Yep. Someone can mug you and will (providing they catch the bugger) simply get a ticket and be sent on there way. Oh and they include assaulting a police officer among these minor offences.

SERIOUS crimes such as assaulting a police officer and mugging will be punished by instant fines of up to £100 from next year under plans to keep hundreds of thousands of offenders out of court.

You would have thought that the State would try and deter as much as possible assault on a police officer by punishing it severly. Otherwise it becomes more difficult to promote the respect for the unarmed police officer.

Tim Worstall has a different suggestion - make assaulting a Politician cost 100 pounds.

1 comment:

JP said...

Quite right! The very idea that this government could actually pass such a ridiculous idea into law.... really...

Mind you, the Chairman of the Magistrates Association seems to take the prospect seriously, and the organisation have already protested to the Lord Chancellor. I wonder why they'd do that on the basis of a mere private conversation with no implications for the law of the land?