Archive for July 29th, 2006
An interesting take on Trial by Jury by Richard Dawkins in 1997.
The principle argument about the allowing of guilty people to go free is that it is better that ten guilty people are acquited than one innocent man has his liberty taken away.
What if juries don’t assure that?
Does a state employee (Judge) fair better?
Would an elected judge help?
What is the answer to fair, robust trials?
What if one of those ten guilty people damage more than one life in a more severe way than mere incarceration of an innocent does?
Who should be involved in the decision to remove trial by jury? Ministers, elected representatives, the people, select committees…
I would also direct you to this speech: Attorney General’s Speech to the Fraud Advisory Panel on 22 March 2006.
These are not questions I yet know the answer to (and frankly I have no influence in any case), but do tell me what you think!
For no reason I can fathom this site now looks odd on Internet Explorer. Please let me know in the comments whether it looks okay to you!
Further to my last post, our MP Tim Loughton has issued an electronic poster and petition for the possible closures:
- KWASH Petition
- KWASH Poster
As I said previously there was an Extraordinary meeting of the Council on 20 July to look at the possible cuts to hospital services and pass a motion about the Council’s feelings about this.
We urged that the hospital’s services not be cut etc. The key parts are these:
Councillor Richard Burt advised that the Council would get the Liberal Democrat support as they are fully against any closures.
Councillor Neil Parkin moved the recommendation and this was seconded by Councillor Gavin Ayling.
Resolved: that the Council’s response to the consultation on ‘Creating an NHS Fit for the Future’ be agreed as follows:
(i) that Adur District Council will object in the strongest terms to any attempt to close Worthing or Southland’s Hospitals. It will also object in the strongest terms to any closure of the Accident and Emergency department and Maternity or any Acute services at Worthing Hospital;
(ii) that In the event of any changes, Adur District Council calls on the Strategic Health Authority to ensure local replacement services are in place before any current ones are axed;
(iii) that Adur District Council requests our Member of Parliament Tim Loughton continue to lobby the Government for a fair level of funding for hospitals in West Sussex;
(iv) that this Council fully supports the K.W.A.S.H. campaign.
(More info on the KWASH campaign)
It should also be noted that former councillor Peter Berry spoke on behalf of the Labour party in Adur. The minutes say:
Mr Berry felt that the proposed recommendation was one of common sense and advised that the Local Labour Group offers its full support of the action.
The full minutes can be found here: Full minutes.
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