RE: People's Court!?

Monday 20th May 2002

People's Court!?

Motorists in Scotland might have to justify their actions in front of a court of children!


Author
Discussion

CJN

Original Poster:

230 posts

280 months

Monday 20th May 2002
quotequote all
How's about a peoples court for young offenders & car thiefs.

We could line up with baseball bats? - it would be sure to dissuade them from future crimes!

tvradict

3,829 posts

281 months

Monday 20th May 2002
quotequote all
PH court!

A Court for all those showing disrespect to TVR's/Porsche's/Lotus/ and all members displaying a PH.com sticker!

Penalties range from a kick in the nuts to being pulled apart by two Griff 500's!

PetrolTed

34,443 posts

310 months

Monday 20th May 2002
quotequote all
There's a serious issue here. How on earth can they justify actions such as this? Surely some legislation would have to be passed in parliament before such a ridiculous mockery of our judicial system could be allowed?

CarZee

13,382 posts

274 months

Monday 20th May 2002
quotequote all
Agreed Ted - what's the source of this?

I mean it can't be simply a case of inviting some inbred morons who think cars are the devil's suppositories to the court and letting them loose?

JohnLow

1,763 posts

272 months

Monday 20th May 2002
quotequote all
Well as a parent I wouldn't be enthusiastic about my kid being involved in something like that - until he's say 16-18 in which case he can make up his own mind. But that would defeat the point, they're after children by the sound of it.

As to the law - note that there's a representative of the Executive in the group, and that they're submitting plans to 'government' - presumably the Executive again - in a month.

Should the penalties be decided by children? Of course not, there's no way a child could have developed enough judgement to make any realistic decision.

So the main point is to embarrass the driver, rather than to make any real contribution to justice. They must then think that the potential embarrassment would be an added deterrent to speeding or other serious crimes.

The potential embarrassment might have an effect on some drivers, but the vast majority of those would be pretty well deterred for a while by a court appearance anyway. Those who don't give a stuff about a normal court appearance aren't likely to be put off by children being there.

Would it work anyway? If the driver only had to justify himself to the kids: Well I thought it was safe, you weren't there and even if you had been you wouldn't have been equipped with the knowledge to assess whether or not it was safe.
So there, na na na-na na.

Thought: are you allowed to use embarrassment as a penalty under things like the Human Rights Act? Don't see why not really, but it certainly shouldn't be by using children.

Would parents be happy to expose their children to such evil, dangerous thugs, ie people who break the speed limit?

plotloss

67,280 posts

277 months

Monday 20th May 2002
quotequote all
I can see it now

Child: 'Why were you going so fast Mister?'
Defendant: The sweet shop was closing and I wanted to get my children loads of sweets as I am a good parent like that'
Child: 'Good idea! You're free to go'

Bloody ridiculous.

Matt.

madcop

6,649 posts

270 months

Monday 20th May 2002
quotequote all
How would these children be recruited to the cause. Most adults try to avoid Jury service if they can. Do they think kids will be any different when there is important telly to watch!!!

salty

93 posts

291 months

Monday 20th May 2002
quotequote all
It could be quite interesting. I'm not condoning using the kids to get a point across, but a cleaver person could turn the proceedings around.

Start asking the children about their "Green Cross Code" training. Why do they think kids get knocked down.

Don't get me wrong, one of my biggest bug-bears is people who drive over the 30 posted limit in an urban environment. Where there's more visibiliy I often "boot it".

So, who's gonna be 1st to mentally scar a child by making them think its their fault, 7 yr old Johnny got wasted.

I'm all for criminals facing their victims, but still not sure what that will do. Very much doubt that some of the scrotes out there will give a s**t about how the poor 87 yr old woman is who he smacked in the face. If he's gonna do it, very much doubt he'll regret it. I'm sure if it means he gets his sentence cut, I'm sure EQUITY could do with a few more members, and obviously a better Theatre/Film industry.


Paul

Steve Harrison

461 posts

274 months

Monday 20th May 2002
quotequote all
Doesn't history show that most "people's courts" tend to result in people getting hanged from trees, burned at the stake etc.?

So yes, lets go for it but as someone said, let's concentrate on the car nicking, vandalising scrotes.

nubbin

6,809 posts

285 months

Monday 20th May 2002
quotequote all
The government's own evidence in the Road Safety reports, actually focuses on children's inability to judge road conditions, speeds, etc., which is why they are most at risk. So, should we ask a blind man the colour of his dreams? I think not, and any politician serious about his career should steer a course away from comic nonsense such as this Joey court. Did we really vote these ****in' clowns into office?

Politics is rapidly divorcing itself from the reality of British life. Beware folks, your liberty is at stake here; Tony Blair wants to curtail ALL individual freedoms, and dictatorships can use popular ridicule as a weapon, and child armies wield a lot of power in despotic oligarchies.

nonegreen

7,803 posts

277 months

Monday 20th May 2002
quotequote all
quote:

How would these children be recruited to the cause. Most adults try to avoid Jury service if they can. Do they think kids will be any different when there is important telly to watch!!!



The children of greens of course will be put forward for this.

Kid "You were going really fast mister"

Motorist "How would you like to see your daddy with his face kicked off?"

JohnLow

1,763 posts

272 months

Tuesday 21st May 2002
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Or more likely:

Kid: How fast were you going on that motorway mister?
Speeder: Err, 90 miles per hour.
Kid: Bo-rring, my Dad usually does 120 and steers with his knees.

superflid

2,254 posts

272 months

Tuesday 21st May 2002
quotequote all
That'l be my kids then.

Neil Menzies

5,167 posts

291 months

Tuesday 21st May 2002
quotequote all
quote:

It could be quite interesting. I'm not condoning using the kids to get a point across, but a cleaver person could turn the proceedings around.


I'm sure they could. Prefer a bread knife myself.

philshort

8,293 posts

284 months

Tuesday 21st May 2002
quotequote all
A rapier gets the point across more effectively.