The point of having principles is to stick to them even when it tears your heart out to do so. First in the Stephen Lawrence case, and now in the Babes in the Wood case, the abolition of the protection against double jeopardy has done its work even from the point of view of those who argued for it.
At the very least, since it was supposed to deal with historic instances of incompetence or malpractice, then it ought now to be restricted to cases that predated it. Anything that happened after the coming into effect of the Criminal Justice Act 2003, one of the most monstrous pieces of legislation ever enacted, ought now to be subject to the previous and immemorial provision that an acquitted person could never be tried again for the same offence.
As it is, we have instead the astonishing state of affairs whereby the State can hound to the grave people who have not only dared to plead not guilty, but who have then been found to be so by juries of their peers, even though we are also almost unique in the Common Law world in having given up what was, again, the immemorial requirement of unanimity among jurors for a criminal conviction.
Another hung Parliament is coming, and we need our people to hold the balance of power in it. I will stand for this parliamentary seat of North West Durham, if I can raise the £10,000 necessary to mount a serious campaign. By common consent, Labour, the Conservatives and I are each on 30 per cent support, so that any one of us could be the First Past the Post. Please email davidaslindsay@hotmail.com. Very many thanks.
Another hung Parliament is coming, and we need our people to hold the balance of power in it. I will stand for this parliamentary seat of North West Durham, if I can raise the £10,000 necessary to mount a serious campaign. By common consent, Labour, the Conservatives and I are each on 30 per cent support, so that any one of us could be the First Past the Post. Please email davidaslindsay@hotmail.com. Very many thanks.
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