Jack Straw and the Rule of Law 117


You would expect Jack Straw as “Justice Minister” to support the rule of law. But not only has he personally just flagrantly breached the criminal law on treating in elections, he has supported the astonishing idea that troops serving in Afghanistan should be exempt from law while off duty in the UK.

A soldier from his Blackburn constituency was caught doing 143mph – yes, 143 mph – on the motorway. The judge let hom off because he was a soldier shortly to return to Afghanistan.

Minister of Justice Jack Straw commented:

“It seems to me that the judge has shown appropriate mercy for someone risking his life for the rest of us.”

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/blackburndarwenhyndburnribble/8121789.Blackburn_soldier_driving_at_143mph_escapes_ban_as_he___s_off_to_Afghanistan/#commentsList

Anyone driving at 143mph on the public highway is a real threat to kill members of the public. So the Justice Minster believes soldiers should be exempt from such laws? What else will the principle be extended to? Rape? “Yes, he raped her, but he is doing important work protecting the nation in Afghanistan”.

Straw is an absolute disgrace.


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117 thoughts on “Jack Straw and the Rule of Law

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  • micky

    I want to see a “Judge Straw” graphic, like 2000AD comic Judge Dredd. Anyone? I don’t think I have the artistic skills..

  • Andy

    From the http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk

    “He said did not realise it was an unmarked police car. Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineer Kameron Edmondson admitted going twice the speed limit on the M40 in his Ford Focus ST, believing he was being persued by a Subaru Impreza.

    “He said did not realise it was an unmarked police car. ”

    Did anyone think to ask him why he thought he was being “persued”?

    What to do with these fucked up young soldiers – Jack Straw knows, send them back to Afghanistan.

  • Courtenay Barnett

    “Oh it does go beyond road traffic, a few years ago a few soldiers came out of a pub, saw a brown skinned person and started swearing racists abuse at him, then they beat him put, and one of them pocked one of his eyes out with a bit of glass.

    They were given community service, because a criminal record would mean they might have to leave the army.”

    Arsalan,

    There are a number of scandalous miscarriages of justice in the English system:-

    – Bentley’s case ?” Lord Goddard caused the death by hanging of an innocent young man.

    – The Gilford Four

    – The Princess Diana cover up

    – The BAE scandal when the case was coming too close to the ultimate bribery source, the case was stopped in “the national interest” (http://www.guardian.co.uk/cartoons/stevebell/0,,2098418,00.html)

    And then…

    – Oh it does go beyond road traffic, a few years ago a few soldiers came out of a pub, saw a brown skinned person and started swearing racists abuse at him, then they beat him put, and one of them pocked one of his eyes out with a bit of glass.

    They were given community service, because a criminal record would mean they might have to leave the army.

    – And

    143 miles on the highway, and if you are a soldier on your way to Afghanistan to repaid vehicles, then there is no consequence for your action ?” soldier.

  • Tony

    Being in the Armed Forces is about discipline and obeying orders. Driving a car at 143mph on a public road represents neither. The Army will frown on such bad behaviour and this young man will be reminded soon enough, however foolish the civilian judge is patting him on the head and letting him off.

    Straw got away (so far) with much more than a brief crazy moment driving much too fast like a youthful idiot. This young squaddy killed no-one with his silly exploit, fortunately, and with any luck he has learnt a lesson. Straw has done so much worse to undermine everything our history and democracy stand for. I think Straw is incapable of learning a lesson, otherwise he could never look at his face in the mirror and feel anything but profound shame.

  • Abe Rene

    The judge said that he deserved disqualification, but was doing a vitally important job for the Army. That’s not the same as letting him off.

  • ScouseBilly

    Abe Rene – what’s wrong with you?

    He escaped a ban. He was let off.

    And then Straw backed that decision.

    He is 20 years old ffs. If it were 40 year old Michael Schumacher in a Ferrari, I’d understand a 6 point penalty but this idiot has hardly any experience of driving let alone at high speed and he was in a crappy Ford to boot.

  • Andy

    Sorry, I thought this soldier had already been to Afghanistan, I didn’t read:

    “A SOLDIER caught driving at 143mph has been allowed to keep his licence so he can train for a life-saving role in Afghanistan. ”

    correction:

    *What to do with these fucked up young soldiers – Jack Straw knows, send them to Afghanistan. *

    Jack Straw is still a shit bag.

    But what does “life-saving role in Afghanistan” mean when this soldier either doesn’t give a shit or is very paranoid? Could someone like that

    be reliable enough to ‘save lives’?

    “a life-saving role”

    Judge Coates told Edmondson: “It is a matter of balancing two different public interests, and the saving of lives must be the more important.

    “I must allow you to remain in the role you do, which is essential for our armed forces.”

    Judge Coates “the saving of lives must be the more important”

    How is Coates qualified to judge on Afghanistan war?

  • ScouseBilly

    Andy, I agree entirely with what you’ve just written.

    This reckless young fool will do what exactly in Afghanistan? Slaughter innocent civilians?

    God help us.

  • tony_opmoc

    “We used to play for silver now we play for life

    And one’s for sport, and one’s for blood at the point of a knife

    And now the die has shaken, now the die must fall

    There ain’t a winner in the game

    He don’t go home with all, not with all”

    “Jack Straw from Wichita cut his buddy down

    And dug for him a shallow grave, and laid his body down”

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBUF3UoOvoI

    Tony

  • Courtenay Barnett

    Abe said:-

    “The judge said that he deserved disqualification, but was doing a vitally important job for the Army. That’s not the same as letting him off.”

    Then what is it? There are a range of penalties that can apply.

    Maybe, it would also be helpful to find out ( to be fair) if this young man had any prevoius offences on his record. I assume not, because of his army status.

    Surely, there has to be some objectively fair standard to be applied. Has the Judge been fair?

    Is Staw balanced in his comments, when same is applied to the “Rule of Law”.

    CB

  • tony_opmoc

    143 mph?

    That’s nowt – My Mate’s Triumph Does 170 mph

    Or so he claims

    Tony

  • Courtenay Barnett

    Truth be told Craig… .Straw’s peccadilloes just pale in comparison to the state’s substantial corrupt transgressions… if you really think about it…

    In February 2010, BAE Systems accepted guilt and agreed to pay penalties in the US and the UK totalling several hundred million dollars to settle all the long-running corruption allegations against it. The text below is from is from June 2007.

    ———————————————————————–

    Since the Guardian first disclosed the nature of the corruption allegations against BAE in 2003, the company has been under investigation by Britain’s Serious Fraud Office. Although the SFO has now been forced to drop the Saudi part of its inquiry on grounds of “national security”, this aspect has been taken up by the Swiss federal prosecutor, who is investigating possible money laundering in the transactions that went through Swiss banks. Other investigations are going on in Sweden, Austria, Tanzania, Romania, the Czech Republic and South Africa.

    BAE’s most recent exposition of its public position came in its 42-page corporate responsibility report published in March 2007.

    In it, Mike Turner, the chief executive, explains that BAE employees have now been sent on “an ethics awareness training course”. The firm said:

    “We provide training on our anti-bribery programme to … senior managers. On completing the training, employees are required to sign a statement confirming they will comply with our policies and will report any issues of concern …

    “All BAE Systems marketing advisers are subject to rigorous due diligence under our compliance programme, are made aware of our anti-bribery policy and are expected to maintain our ethical standards.”

    ________________________________________

  • Courtenay Barnett

    Craig look at the real big shit…take a deep breath and inhale….yuck…

    An Attorney General who suddenly switches his legal advice, a Prime Minister desperate to please a foreign power, Clare Short fuming on the sidelines, and the truth shrouded in mystery…

  • Tasmin

    I suppose the bottom line is that New Labour have already sold us to the US and corporate elite. They don’t have any way of changing that anymore. That’s why they can’t explain their authoritarianism, their errors or do anything different.

    They’re just doing what they’re told, by forces who have no interest in the well-being of British people.

    I can’t imagine Cameron would be any different. He’s part of the same club.

    The only way out of this is PR and the impossibilty of anyone ensuring such total control of our political system again. That’s what the corporate and media elite fear in the rise of the Lib Dems. That’s why they hit them so hard with such laughable allegations.#

    But the British people are thoroughly fed up with authoritarian politicians and their sidekicks in media, and want their democracy back to themselves.

    The tumbrils are rolling for these bankers, politicians and media whores who have so destroyed and distorted the human way of life.

  • ScouseBilly

    Well, Mr Barnett.

    While you’re at it, Boeing’s patent application for an uninterruptible auto-pilot on what date? Sept 11 2001 !!!

    Google: qrs-11 hillary clinton

    Have fun

  • tony_opmoc

    I Know You Don’t Believe What I Write…

    You see, I think I may actually be able to do it (Kind of Secretly)

    Learn The Guitar Finally at MY AGE

    And be good enough to actually get on Stage

    And Blow Them Away

    There is No Way They Won’t Let Me Up

    If I Turn Up With My Guitar….

    They May Think It Will Be The Funniest Thing They Have Ever Seen

    When I Do Trower

    Hardly Any Of Them Know How To Play Trower

    And I have only seen One Person Play Trower Live (Except Robin Trower of Course – Numerous Times)

    Getting someone to sing like James Dewar is very much Tougher…

    But I Know a Young Vocalist Who Has Got The Most Tremendous Determination and Now After 7 Years is a Brilliant Vocalist – He can also help me learn guitar – he has already given my daughter lessons

    But it has to be a secret.

    It will take me at least a couple of years but I am making good progress and I now play Guitar Every Day.

    I have completely amazed myself. I bought a Les Paul guitar less than two weeks ago (he died last year), and I have been trying to play it every single day. Yes my fingers really hurt. But I have tried to learn the guitar on several occasions since the age of 13 and always have given up in disgust thinking I am useless. Now I am really old. The last time I tried to play guitar was years ago when I was 50.

    But in less than 10 days I have learnt to play some rock riffs quite well, for the very first time.

    I find free lessons on youtube absolutely brilliant for this…

    The best I have found so far is this guy

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzUbUbBqruU

    I can actually do it when sober, but can’t yet get the timing right when pissed.

    I also have a Zoom GFX1. It can make the guitar sound like almost anything.

    I am now in competetion with my 19 year old daughter. She is learning at University on my old Fender.

    Metallica will perform at Ramat Gan Stadium on May 22 in Israel.

    Is it safe to travel there and will they let me in, let me go to the gig – and let me out again without torturing me?

    I have met several Israeli’s who travelled to London and Reading to go to Music Gigs, and some of them Even Played. We didn’t torture them at all and made them very welcome.

    I do have numerous stamps in my passport from countries all over half the World – including several Muslim Countries in Africa and the Middle East…

    All the Muslim Countries treated us with the Greatest Courtesy and Respect, and we only caused a slight problem once when we took my Son’s 15 year old Girlfriend through Dubai Airport. She dressed like any English teenage girl would going on holiday to a hot country like Spain or Greece. The customs didn’t say anything – just waived us through….

    But all these Muslim blokes in Dubai airport and their wives wearing black bin liners over their heads – seemed to think Madonna’s daughter had landed – so she had to try and hide on the floor behind her boyfriend. She didn’t like the entire airport staring at her.

    The last time I saw Metallica was at the Strand Palace Hotel in London before they were famous in around 1982

    And now for the first time in my life I can play Metallica

    http://www.leaan.co.il/venue_areas.asp

    Tony

  • jives

    @ Tony

    Never mind Trower and Metallica…pentatonic/harmonic minor cliches..

    Can u play like Joe Pass?…:.)

  • tony_opmoc

    My wife found this camera and some photographs in a bin upstairs in our attic…

    The photos were O.K. and so was the camera…

    My daughter had a few friends over whilst we were away looking after her Grandma and Grandad…

    And her brother was working most of the time

    So I don’t know what she was up to

    And I don’t know how this camera came into my home

    My wife and I have looked at some of the pictures on the camera, and we do not know one of the numerous people on them There are people of all colours from seemingly all over the World. The slightly more dominant culture that we got from the photo’s was Asian..

    I don’t know what to do with this camera

    It works fine and does 4 megapixel stills…

    Which is more than enough for most situations…

    The Flash works too – I tested it by taking a picture of myself – which looks like me asking

    What the fuck is this in my hand?

    I have never seen it before and have yet to interrogate either of my Children…

    But I would like to get it back to its owner

    She has some Beautiful Friends

    Tony

  • tony_opmoc

    Now that I have given myself a New Objective of Becoming a Rock Star – and Doing It For Real – and You Think I am a hopeless case….

    I will point out that, not can I only play several riffs after 10 days practice…

    The hair still grows out of my head…

    It is Real and It is Long

    And no, I am not Bald at all, I have also inherited the most Beautiful Skin From My Mother…

    And My Wife Who I Love To Bits Keeps Me Fit….

    We Have Sex and We Walk and We Climb Mountains and We Cycle and Sometimes We Run For The Last Train Home From The Gig The Other Side of London

    I was also a Child Model at the Age of 4

    I was Featured in The Nursing Times Wearing a Sailor’s Uniform

    And although I am considerably older, I can and will look much younger than Craig Murray – And He is My James Bond

    007 Eat Your Heart Out

    I reckon I can look as Georgeous as David Coverdale did 5 years ago. He looked even better than when he past us his Pint Right at the Front of Wembley Arena in Whitesnake over 25 years ago

    Tony

  • ScouseBilly

    Tony,

    May I suggest you get a Line6 Toneport.

    It comes with software called Gearbox.

    Your guitar plugs into the toneport which outputs to your amp but has a USB link to your PC. That’s where it gets interesting: you can use Gearbox online to change settings to emulate Blackmore, Gilmore, Hendrix, Santana, Reinhart, you name it.

    I just had a quick blast playing Zepellin with Prince’s sound. All good fun 😉

  • tony_opmoc

    Her English ain’t so good – but she is completely stunning…She goes round the pub and talks to absolutely everyone

    She not only Dances The Flamenco Like an Angel…

    But Today She sent My Wife and I an Invitation To Come To Her Home For Dinner

    We Replied

    Thank You. We would Love To Come.

    She Taught Me How To Say “I Love You” In Spanish about 6 months ago when we invited her to our home.

    I keep forgetting – but she reminds me when we see her.

    Tony

  • tony_opmoc

    ScouseBilly,

    Thanks for the tip, but I don’t think I am yet ready to record anything…

    But I have already looked at the technology

    Maplins have being trying to flog it to me

    But one thing at a time

    I have got to learn how to play the instrument first

    Its a bit like shagging

    And to be honest two acoustic guitars upstairs are looking rather sexy – one from a mate of mine who can play Spanish Guitar better than any bloke from Spain I have ever seen.

    I have also bought spare acoustic Strings – but the tuning handle of the best accoustic guitar is broken off and I have had to use a mole wrench to tune it.

    Tony

  • tony_opmoc

    ScouseBilly,

    He’s a Brilliant Rock Guitarist Who Lost His Home and His Job and His Money Because He had a Lousy Holiday In Spain which I drove him and his wife and kids to the airport to…

    And when he came back he dumped his wife and kids at home and went straight down the pub and met this Pyschopath who Has Taken Yoga to The Limits and Can Get Her Head Up Her Own Arse…

    They Fight Like Cat and Dog

    And he is the last person in the World who I would think could ever hit a woman

    But apparently the Sex is So Awesome that he seems to think it is all worthwhile – and when she throws him out he knows he always has a place to go

    Our home

    He can also play accoustic guitar like no one I have ever seen

    I reckon it must be in the sex

    Tony

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