Three Cheers For The British Justice Sytem - Not.

[Clunk]

I was just watching the news this evening and I saw that a couple of teenagers have been sentenced to 15 months in prison for doing graffiti on trains and bridges etc. Fair enough, make an example of them, in the hope that it will deter others right?

And then on tonights news, Actor Chris Langham, was convicted of downloading child pornography, and received 10 months in prison.

I'm not sure how other people feel about this, but I think that it makes a complete mockery of our justice system when convicted paedophiles are treated less harshly than a couple of teenagers that defaced some British Rail property. Sure, the graffitti costs money that is ultimately passed on to the passengers, but how the hell do they come up with the sentences?

Surely, even Gordon Brown would recognise that kiddie fiddling is more serious than graffitti?

/end of rant.

[climbingkid]

Sure but this follows the failed conviction of the grandparent last week - two bottles of wine and 10 spliffs, an illegal dog (banned for a reason) and not responsible for the childs death.

That was the jury....

CC

[GSte]

Yeah, the whole thing is arse-end backwards. Why give people 10 month sentences, but you can get out in 5 for good behaviour? Why not have them do 15 months for bad behaviour? Its all garbage, I saw this thing last year where some lads had covered another bloke in petrol and set him on fire because he spilt a can of beer and didn't clean it up quickly enough. Witnesses testified that the lads were laughing as the dude ran around outside their flat screaming. The one who lit him got 9 years, out in just over 4 1/2 for good behaviour. The victim is now disfigured for life, can't walk and needs a ventilator, not to mention the unbelievable pain he has experienced and will experience. Now I understand the arguments against capital punishment, but 4 1/2 years for destroying an innocent person's entire life??? WTF? And why not destroy such backward pieces of ? We destroy dogs who viciously attack people, and they have less capacity to decide not to, so.........

[climbingkid]

Well said GSte !

[iranu]

Originally Posted by Clunk

....but how the hell do they come up with the sentences?

I presume that parliament sets a certain minimum/maximum through statute for a crime and it's up to the judge to pass sentence whilst following guidelines.

Originally Posted by Clunk

Surely, even Gordon Brown would recognise that kiddie fiddling is more serious than graffitti?

I'm sure he does but it's not up to him to pass sentence. We don't have mandatory sentences in this country. Also, Langham was not convicted of "kiddie fiddling".* He was convicted of downloading "child pornography"**. From what I have read it seems that there were 15 items downloaded and this was his first offence. I would say that the judge takes all this into account with regard to sentencing. What I do dislike is the automatic halving of the sentence for "good behaviour".

I certainly agree that the criminal justice system in this country is completely fubared and needs massive review and overhaul.

* I hate it when people/media etc use such terms. It dumbs down what is actually happening. I doubt that any victim would ever say they were fiddled with.

** Whilst the word pornography is technically correct I think we should use even more correct terms such as abuse (torture?) and rape.

[Clunk]

I'm not sure that it matters how we refer to him, or his crimes.

The law now calls him a paedophile. A paedophile is also someone who does the act that is photographed and then downloaded by scum like Langham. So, to me, it doesnt matter if people use the formal, or the informal, he is still scum.

[Stewart]

I believe the correct term is nonce, and he will now get nonce beatings.