The Glasgow Bin Lorry case continued to march on this week as Michael Matheson, the Scottish Justice Secretary, announced that Legal Aid would be provided for the families seeking to bring a private prosecution against the driver, Harry Clarke. I don’t think the private prosecution will succeed, but I don’t want to swell on the merits of the action itself here. I want to look … Continue reading State Aid for Private Prosecution
Yesterday, the Chief Executive of the Scottish Police Federation, Calum Steele, published a letter he has sent to every MSP regarding the latest revelations regarding stop and search powers. Many have judged its contents to be organisationally arrogant, legally ignorant and politicly naive. In particular, Lallands Peat Worrier’s response speaks to some of the more ridiculous parts of the letter. However, virtually every paragraph of the statement contains … Continue reading A Response to Calum Steele…
…or a response to @DPJHodges in more than 140 characters. This week, Dan Hodges wrote this piece for the Telegraph. In it, he ‘argues’ that we should lower the standard of proof used in criminal trials from “beyond reasonable doubt” to “on the balance of probabilities”. I am not a qualified solicitor (yet), nor do I wish to be a Criminal Lawyer when I do (Civil Law is … Continue reading We Have to be Reasonable About Conviction…
…or why Neil Lennon and a Mr. Wilson from Edinburgh were major players in my personal legal journey. I was amused last week when I read an article about New Hampshire’s State Legislature. I like New Hampshire (NH), and I’m fully prepared to admit that this is 100% due to it being President Bartlett’s home state. But over the last few years, NH examined and looked … Continue reading When is Assault not Assault…
Paul Cruikshank 