Am I getting old or are our courts really becoming a joke

[Robpthegills]

What a funny week it has been for supposed justice or perceived pursuers of justice.

We have the black lawyers association wanting the FA to give Tottenham to 2 weeks notice to stop the use of the word YID at their stadium or they be forced to be played behind closed doors.

However they made no claim to MTV or any other music channel to stop black people using the word Nigger in their music or their records be banned and not played on air.

We have 3 lads on the kent coast who maliciously and without provocation stab an innocent person. one of them gets 3 years youth custody whilst the others get 2 years all SUSPENDED provided they carry out over 100 hours community service.

Yet we have a British Rail (rail worker dont be perdantic over the rail owner) given 5 years imprisonment for blowing his whistle for a train to pull away without seeing a young girl leaning on the train which led to her death. Not intentional, dumb, bad, not acceptable yes, but 5 years in jail for a non pre meditated act.

A foreign immigrant caught driving whilst drunk, without a licence, no insurance or MOT given 2 year ban and 40 hours community service.

A young man arrested and bailed for burning a poppy on facebook/twitter. I do not agree with his actions but cannot believe the police are wasting so much time on something that would have gone away after a day if the man was ignored.

A man who got beaten up whilst playing football for Ashford by an opposition player so badly he needs major surgery but the police say it is a matter for the Kent FA and not for them to deal with.


Justice in this country seems to be a Throw of the dice in this country now.

[Poshgill]

Rob, with regard to the Guard that was sentenced to 5 years for the manslaughter of the young girl, I'll give you my opinion. Personally, I think the sentence was a correct one. The man was employed to look after the safety of his passengers. It is a responsible position and he would have received significant training in his role (his employer is Merseyrail btw). For whatever reason only he can say, he acted with extreme disregard for the girls safety and even though he saw her leaning against the train he proceeded to give the driver the 'right away' signal to the driver. This is not a whistle but a cab to cab signal to advise the driver train was safe to proceed. Unfortunately the girl was dragged under the train and killed. Yes I know she was drunk but she was only 16. The guard has a duty to look after his vulnerable passengers and that includes drunk ones. I've worked trains late at night and know how irritating drunks can be, but it is unacceptable for this man to have not done what he was employed to do. If a bus driver had killed a girl by failing to stop his bus then no one would have batted an eye at the sentence. It's not good enough for this man to take his wages for doing nothing. His job was to ensure the safety of his passengers and in this case he was totally negligent.

[Robpthegills]

Hi Tom

thanks for that mate, it does shed more light on the matter. However I still think 5 years is a harsh sentence. We have people carrying out pre meditated murder only getting that.

Paedophiles still only get 3 maybe 4 year sentences for ruining childrens lives, yet they get a sentence that doesnt even affect a decade of their lives.

[Poshgill]

No, I reckon 5 years is about right for the guard. He'll be out in 3 so I still think that is quite lenient considering he has killed someone and ruined the life of an entire family.

I do agree with you about the association of black lawyers, especially when a leading Rabbi stated that the term Yid, as used by Spurs fans was not offensive to the Jewish faith as it was predominantly a call to arms. But I still don't understand why we need an association of black lawyers. Do they specialise in different laws? What differentiate them from other lawyers? Do they preclude Asian Lawyers from joining?

We all know that the law is an ass, (someone much brighter than me said that!) and it is easy for us to criticise sentences when we see them in the press. Unfortunately, we never know the full facts in a case unless we are involved personally and we have to hope the Judiciary are trying cases with an even hand.

Take the case of Abu qatada. The politicians were clamouring for his deportation and there is no doubt this man is an odious individual, but the Judges, quite rightly in my opinion, refused to deport him to Jordan for trial. Their reasons for the refusal is that there was sufficient doubt that evidence used against this man had been obtained through torture and that goes against our own human rights.

[brb]

While on the subject of certain wordy terms, I have a question about the use of a particular word. The term when researched is classed as offensive.

Why is it a black person can use this word but a white person cannot, not that I have ever used it or want to use it but it is just a genuine question? This is not the shortened version of the word but the six letter spelling.

Why do I ask the question now you may ask...on twitter I saw a particular player or should I say an account that I follow claiming to be a particular player (no tick next to name to verify) use the word and he has received no visible public rebuke. Is there an acceptable use of this word in certain conditions that I am unaware of, remembering it was used on twitter?

It was the 'N' word used. Confused.

[Elgrande]

A Christian who was demoted in his job for a comment he wrote on Facebook about gay marriages has won a breach of contract action against his employers.

Adrian Smith, 55, lost his managerial position and had a 40% salary cut after saying a gay wedding held in a church was an "equality too far".

Mr Smith, from Bolton, claimed that Trafford Housing Trust (THT) acted unlawfully in demoting him.

At least the courts got this one right. Sad thing is it looks like the loony left have almost completed their mission to destoy the country. If freedom of speach is totally eradcated and the only opinions that count are those of Black, Gay and non Christian then it might just be time to turn the lights out and sit in the corner gibbering.

[Poshgill]

Loony Left. Lol. Not heard that for about 30 years! I think you'll find most of the problems in this country about rights and equality come from middle class Liberals that think they are doing the right thing but actually most don't even know black people!

[Rimshot]

Only ElG could classify this country's judiciary as 'Loony Left' . What they are is obsessive about the primacy of the law and quite oblivious to the concepts of natural justice and common sense.

The law is the only profession that has a vested interest in matters not being concluded, hence the interminable time and processes involved. What's more narrow interpretations of the law, based on precedent, are always likely to be out of step with real life, hence the series of outrageous decisions relating to terrorists and the restrictions on their activities. UrbanTerrorism is a relatively recent phenomenon and case law cannot deal with it. The legal objections to detention without trial, phonetap evidence, deportation and so on are made by already very wealthy law firms entirely without conscience.

Even in other Western European countries, the likes of Abu Qatada would just have been quietly taken to an airport and put on a flight to Jordan.

[Elgrande]

Did you actually read my whole post. Nothing to do with racism or terrorism; it was about the scary way freedom of speach and even thought is being undermined. You mustn't say anything nasty about gays, coloureds, transgenders etc even if it is true or based on a personal belief shared by many.

[Rimshot]

Come on Elgrande, you sound just like every BNP pamphlet ever written. The fact that we have laws about these things is precisely because of the abuse, intolerance and vitriol that minorities have put up with for many years. Of course the interpretation and application of the law are open to misuse, of course there are daft instances of over zealous policing but the alternatives are a damn sight worse.

[Elgrande]

So persecution can be justified if it not against a minority?

[Robpthegills]

The problem is when a Minority speaks out against a supposed Majority its called Freedom of Speech

When you speak out against a minority its called racism.

I personally am against gay marriages, but then people brand me homophobic. At one time most of the world shared my opinion, now peoples opinions are changing that doesnt make it right. My goverment even told me it was wrong. When I was in the Navy you got sent to jail if you were found to be gay and discharged. Times change but that doesnt always make it right.

How many years before a paedophile stops being a paedophile and just an older person who wants a relationship with a young child, absurd as that sounds, gay marriages seemed just as absurd 100 years ago.

We are losing the right to have our own beliefs, as long as those beliefs dont materialise into criminal acts against people I really do not see the problem.

Peter Tatchell doesnt believe the church has the right to ban or not accept gay people, yet he believes he has the right to insist what the church does and what decisions they make.

The dictionary lists homophobia as an extreme and irrational aversion to homosexuality and homosexual people.

well i dont believe my thoughts are irrational or extreme I just dont think its right.

[Rimshot]

I think it's just self-indulgent but harmless. I know a couple who went through a civil ceremony and they both believe that the gays insisting on 'marriage' are just short on something to protest about.

Honestly though, some of the biggest objectors seem to be people who never set foot in church. A non-issue Rob. I really cannot understand why heterosexual males ( women couldn't care less) get so worked up about it.

[Robpthegills]

its a very valid point rimshot. Some of the biggest complainers on either side of the coin have never stepped nor will ever step into a church.


I am just an old whinged, I hate homosexuality being thrown in my face by nearly every tv programme but just as much as I hate promiscuity being rammed down our throats. No soap shows a happy marriage.

Anyway I will put my grouchy head away and put on my happy head just like worzel gummidge used to do.

[Garawa]

"You mustn't say anything nasty about gays, coloureds, transgenders etc even if it is true or based on a personal belief shared by many."

Elg is right though isn't he really? We saw it with Mark McCammon. The guy was useless and was let go but won a race case against the club for victimisation, something he wouldn't have done had he been white.