Home | Friday 19th August 2011 | Issue 784
CRAP JUSTICE OF THE WEEK
“This was about people showing indifference to right and wrong, people with a twisted moral code, people with a complete absence of self-restraint.”
Fast-forward ten years and Cameron’s words might be a better description of the judicial lynch mob mentality taking hold in England’s court-rooms right now. In what seems to be a sort of ‘shock doctrine’ approach to criminal justice, the government have decided to wage “all-out war” on gangs and gang culture. If anything illustrates the ruling elite’s fear of the mob it is this return to transportation-era justice. Five months for receiving a pair of shorts, six months for stealing water, six months for nicking ice cream, four f**kng years for organising a riot on Facebook that never happened. This uprising had our masters worried (one top cop has leaked that during a COBRA meeting a panicking Cameron was considering bringing in the army).
This wave of vicious sentencing has been co-ordinated from the top. While cops were considering introducing tactics, like the use of baton rounds, from Northern Ireland onto the streets of the mainland the judiciary has taken a leaf out of the Stormont book and is in effect introducing a form of internment. The existence of the directive ...sorry ‘guidance’ was revealed by the chair of the bench at Camberwell Green Magistrates Court, Novello Noades,as she sentenced one man to six months in prison. Don’t forget that most of those headed for custody now are actually on remand – an astounding two thirds of all defendants have been remanded.
Cruder weapons are set to be deployed as the principle of ‘collective punishment’ is used. Tory-controlled Wandsworth council is trying to evict a family because one member has been accused of involvement. “We wanted to get the ball rolling,” said the council, nodding in the direction of the old fashioned ‘innocent ‘til proven guilty’ schtick by saying “If he is acquitted we will end our eviction proceedings”. Wandsworth Council and others have promised wide application of these powers.
Today 25 protesters gathered outside the house of Ravi Govindia, head of Wandsworth Council, shouting “Evict the Tories – not the poor”. One arrest was made.
For more http://noriotevictions.wordpress.com
Prison support groups are being set up around the country alongside the Anarchist Black Cross. Currently nearly 2000 have been nicked following the riots – with no doubt many more to follow as cops trawl through the CCTV.
