Right or Wrong

[Bigmallly]

That's better................

[muddled]

I'ven done my full lifetime quota of jury service....you can only do it three times.
On one stint I didn't get to sit on a single case. Just spent ten days in the jury waiting area bored out of my mind.
I did sit on several cases each of the other times though...a couple of harrowing ones, one or two rather funny ones and loads of really dull ones where you kept be sent out while they discussed a 'point of law'.

One man we found not guilty turned to have done it many times before....they told us AFTER.
One bloke we knew was guilty, OF MURDER (he actually grinned and said so) the judge ORDERED us to find not guilty because of a legal loophole.
One 'victim' turned out to have mase the whole assault up....because she was late for work in her job in a police station.

I have no faith in our legal system any longer.
And the fact remains that round here you're much more likely to be mugged, assaulted or burgled than be a victim of mob justice.....I'm starting to lean towards vigilantism as a viable alternative to the law.

[Potstubsdustbins]

I had to have a good think about this, because I know my persuasions are slightly to the right of Genghis Khan. I don't only advocate the return of corporal and capital punishment I would gladly pull the lever on some of the evil scroat's we spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on to keep locked up.

I know this regime would not stop all offending but am certain it would vastly reduce it and a cane, a birch and length of rope are certainly a damn sight cheaper.

Would I advocate 'mob justice' NEVER, humans that we are we would just take it to far the other way.

I do however believe in the absolute right to protect oneself, ones family and ones property by what ever means are to hand and if that turns the perpetrators birth certificate into a useless document then so be it.

[Nicos]

Just a thought....


Can you imagine if that guy had an unknown medical problem and had a stroke/ heart attack following that treatment , and consequently died?

I wonder where, legally, the mob who fastened him up would stand?

Things are never straight forward....

[Alison]

I find some of the comments on this thread quite concerning. Yes it sounds like the original crime was definitely well out of order and should be dealt with but mob rule is not the way to go or we are little (if any) better than the perpetrator. Although by no means perfect our justice system is far better than many around the world and to those who advocate bringing back the death penalty, it should be noted that miscarriages of justice will always occur and there is a lot of evidence to show that the threat of this does nothing to reduce crime - the states in the US with such a regime have no less terrible crimes than the ones without. It also would reduce the chances of people admitting their crimes which is the first step to rehabilitation which is a major pillar of our justice system. I would like to think we are civilised and for all of us to sink to the lowest level is a horrible image.

[bearded bloke]

Nicely put Alison

[mothhawk]

It is but a short step from believing such mob behaviour is right for alleged criminals, to believing it is right for those of different ethnic origin, religion, or sexual persuasion. If it were not so, the world would be a far more amicable planet.

Who knows the circumstances of the crime? And just think, next time he robs someone, it may well be with a firearm, so no-one can lay hands on him again.

[Guest]

I find some of the comments on this thread quite concerning.

I know someone who thinks that people should be intelligence and means tested before being allowed to have children But its fine none of it will happen

[Bigmallly]

I'll throw a question into the hat:
If your mum was attacked at knife point, how would you react?

[Alison]

I'll throw a question into the hat:
If your mum was attacked at knife point, how would you react?

Yes but that's the point, reflex retaliation based on emotion doesn't actually help and somebody that close to the situation isn't in the right frame of mind to think rationally. That doesn't mean I don't care, I care very much but anger and resentment can destroy, I have seen this happen and in at least one case has actually caused more harm than the original event. Terrible things obviously happen but whatever the papers want you to believe, they are quite rare in this country and I prefer to live in a world where I assume the best of people as most people really do mean well, especially if given the chance.

[Greenleaves]

^^^^^Agree totally with Alison, summary justice dealt out imo is no different from the original wrong doing. I also believe that people should be given a chance to make amends for their wrong doing

[Potstubsdustbins]

As I said I claim the absolute right to defend me and mine. If someone were threatening SWMBO with a knife they would go at least to hospital and if they had to be boxed I wouldn't give a damn.

If you come into my home with evil intent then as far as I am concerned you deserve everything you get and boy will it hurt.

Far better to be judged by 12 than carried by 4.

[Bill HH]

I know someone who thinks that people should be intelligence and means tested before being allowed to have children But its fine none of it will happen

Further more being rich and intelligent is no guarantee that their children will be brought up well, not by a long shot.

We had such a family living near us, both parents were teachers, they had three children and pushed them educationaly without mercy, extra classes for this and that, music lesson, dancing lessons always some sort of activity designed to make them geniouses. The kitchen was plastered with little signs such as 3+6 = 9 etc all over the flippin fridge. Graham their 7 yr old son came running in one day his hand covered in blood, screeming that he had lost his fingernail. Mummy said "So graham how many nails do you have now?" ( ok i made that up) The eldest daughter became anorexic and eventualy died, the other daughter had terribly disfiguring exema and young Graham turned to drugs. Very often a good cuddle is better than education.
Sometimes children like this turn to crime, do we really want to whip them? Maybe its their parents who need a kick in the a..s.

[Potstubsdustbins]

There's always the exception that proves the rule Bill. Would I cane the lad who turned to crime (drugs) damn right I would. I know people who had a far worse upbringing and never went down the wrong road.

A lot off people today turn to crime because they have no fear of authority or the criminal justice system and why should they have any fear, there is nothing to be afraid of.

I had news of a very serious criminal just today, he was let out of prison on parole, one of the conditions being that he could not return to Nottingham whilst on parole. After a few months he asked to go back to serve the rest of his sentence so that it would be over quicker and he could come back to his home turf. Says something about prison conditions I think.

[bearded bloke]

Come on peeps, shall we all take a moment to remember that we are in the season of goodwill