Still on the subject of why we don't have any trust in the symbols of modern society:

 

So if we can't trust the politicians or the Police, what about that last bastion of justice - the judiciary? Well, sure enough, every now and then they come down on the side of the public as opposed to the Government but let's look a little closer.

 

In 2006 this government introduced new rules as a knee jerk reaction to much hyped cases where millionaires got Legal Aid. The result is that nowthe only hope of getting fair and adequate legal representation is to be rich. In an example from last summer one defendent had a solicitor who openly told a court that if the case were to be heard there and then he would have to walk out leaving the defendent unrepresented. The reason? - months of delay getting approval for Legal Aid while they tried to bring in a new syatem.

 

Even if you do succeed in getting Legal Aid, this is minimal and has a limited amount both in termsd of finance and time. Of course your solicitor won't be getting paid anywhere near the £175 per hour he'll get for private work so you can't expect anywhere near the same level of work. If there's doubt over the legality of evidence? - sorry Legal Aid won't cover that given the maximum amount permissable. I fyou need to get a court order for return of property from the Police? - Sorry you'll have to stand up in court and ask yourself. Want to change your Barister because you're not happy with the lack of representation? - tough luck you'll get who your Legal Aid solicitor has a nice arrangement with.

 

Then we come to the Judiciary itself.

Imagine you're in possession of a court order giving someone 28 days to return a large, framed and mounted, professional studio photo. Now imagine that after 35 days you eventually receive the picture - ripped from its frame and mount, tearing it in the process, and foldd in three. You'd think that a court order would mean the picture being returned in good condition, as it was at the application? Well apparently not! It seems that if you're female, the judge is female (and you have a cosy chat beforehand) all you have to say is "It was OK when I sent it" - and the only liability you have is to tell the person with the court order where the photo was produced and they then have to buy a replacement photo, frame and mount. It's decisions like this that make you feel the law is no longer the servant of the people and the judiciary are out of touch with reality.

 

 

 

I used to have faith in our legal system, but from cutbacks in Legal Aid to moves for longer detention without charege and talk of doing away with Juries there's little left to have faith in. And who is it who elects these magistrates and judges to deliberate matter fairly? Is it the public? Of course not, it's the goverment of course!. Faith in a system with no accountability is as sensible as having faith in a reconciliation while the other party is dropping their knickers in Florence for a "family friend". 

 

Radio 5 Live has been running a series of interesting phone in debates lately that seem to be focusing on why society no longer seems to respect the Police, Politicians or Business. The truth seems to be quite simple: Respect has to be earned, and rather than earn it our Politicains, Police and Business show no respect for us, the people, and act as laws unto themselves.

 

If you talk to pretty much anyone these days for any length of time you'll here the same gripes time after time. People are fed up of businesses doing what the hell they like, then sending you round and round in circles when you try and complain. Take Virgin Media as an example - when someone decided last night to rip the cable feed from the outside wall of the house, disconnecting phone, tv and broadband all I wanted to do was get it fixed. Well simple as it m,ay sound it took 7 minutes on a mobile before even getting to talk to a human being - and even then it was someone in India who was about as easy to understand as talking in machine code to C3PO. One missed, promised, call back later and another 7 minutes before clearing the automated system again. It took nearly an hour of calls at mobile rates before I could get someone to come and look at it today. When they did arrive they slammed the way the installation had been made in the first place, with loose cable running over the garden then a non-sensical diversion to the outside wall where anyone could get at it. Surprise, surprise, now a Virgin engineer has said it needs ripping out and reinstalling we're getting some action, even though months of complaining at thye time got no response. Why don't we trust business anymore? - because they no longer treat us as though our custom matters in the slightest!

 

 

 

 

Well where do you start? Over the last 10 years our government has slowly but surely stolen our rights away. They sent us into a war the majority of people never wanted, justified by lies and exaggerations. Parties make promises at elections, then once they have our votes they do a 90 degree turn and back down on their promises. In any other walk of life this would be obtaining property or services by deception - or at very least breach of contract.

 

We have had the  choice to drink outside on a warm summer day taken away from us, while opening hours are extended to 24 hours a day. The choice to smoke has been removed. We, the public, can have our conversations recorded by the Police and Security Services - but if you're an MP you're above the law.  You used to be able to remain silent under Police questioning, and there are many reasons wh you may want or need to at the time, but not anymore. Just in case you want to remain silent they're now trying to bring in thje right to detain you for over 3 months without charge.

 

Policicians should be the most accountable of all public servants, yet who is it who decides how much they get paid?  Who investigates when MPs are reported for breaking the rules? IN reality an MP can promise whatever he wants, and knows that no matter what he's in a nice cushy job for at least the next 4 years without even the slightest possibility of any accountability. Why don't we trust politicians anymore? - simple, it's because they only care about the people once every 4 years and in between do what they like with impunity!

 

This has been one of the bigest areas of debate lately, with the Police demanding the right to strike. Even Poilce Officers have admitted that they no longer have the respect of the public. Well it's no surprise really. The only times you're likely to see a Police Officer these days is if you're young and don't want to stay indoors all day, or more likely when they decide it's time to cllect more money off us for the Government's coffers. Report a crime and if you're lucky you'll get a crime nmber over the phone in case you need it for the insurance. Over 4 months ago I personally reported a crime of Perjury and Perverting the Course of Justice, with documentary evidence to support it - the reaction so far has been.....absolutely nothing!

 

When you do finally get to see a Police Officer, they act as if they are immune from the law themselves. Their word is accepted, purely on the basis of them being Police Officers, even where evidence is available to show them to be in the wrong. How can they get away with it? Quite simple when the people to investigate any complaint against the Police are their own work colleagues from the same force. Even if the complaint progresses to the supposedly "Independant" Police Commission you can't have that much faith. Last month 100 solicitors working for the IPCC all resigned en-masse on the grounds that the IPCC is institutionally biased towards the Police.

 

From personal experience I know of at least three officers from Cheshire Police alone, DS Paul Fitton, PC Carrie Burke and DS Chris Marlham, who have what would appear to be absolutely no regard for the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, European Convention on Human Rights or honesty. DS Fitton an PC Burke have been reported for numerous offences from falsifying evidence to achieve a conviction to criminal damage, from leaking priviliged (*and inaccurate) information to a 3rd party to criminal damage. And who should investigate this? - well of course it's their own mates in Cheshire Police. Chris Markham, supposedly independant as a member of the Professional Standards Dept, has been reported for everything from refusing to investigate evidence to interfering with an investigation.

 

 

 

Even when the Police admit to wrongdoing - take, for example, the admission that they routinely broke the law by recording solicitors conversations with prisoners - they remain unaccountable. When they shoot an innocent foreign visitor what happens? - no-one to blame of course. When PC Carrie Burke admits in her own statements to breaking PACE her fellow officers report states "innsufficient independant evidence". When you offer evidence to DS Markham, he reports bak as "I have not seen any evidence" - neglecting to state it was offered but he faileto take up the offer. Why don't we trust the Police any more? - simple, they seem to think they are the masters not the servants of the public. When corrupt officers can break the law with impunity, and act as little more than money collectors with no accountability they will never deserve our trust. They are overpaid, jobs for life, boys whose only interest in justice is meeting targets not in finding out the truth.