Guest Blog: Squinty Eye's Weekly Round-up

Typical view of UK streets thanks to European Court, apparently...

It was like Eurovision all over again on Tuesday when a Political fracas was set off as judges in the European Court of Human Rights ruled by 16 to 1 that those UK prisoners on Whole Life Tariffs were to have reviews inserted into their sentences. Chaos broke out and panic ensued when ‘Joe public’ thought that axe murderers would be on our streets chopping off limbs by the dozen inside 24 hours of the ruling.

The Government’s rather strong reaction to European jurisdiction over UK policies on the penal system was nothing more than a knee jerk reaction. Cameron, Grayling and the Tories, who are even more unpopular than murderers themselves at present, set about with threats of curtailing human rights, I’m sorry, I meant defending the current system of whole life.

The timing of the judgement which took almost 8 months to emerge seemed crucial after the Government was just seen to be getting tough on crime, Theresa May only recently addressing the police federation, to say that any one who kills a police officer will be given whole life, and rightly so.

The baffling aspect of sentencing for killing never ceases to amaze me, it appears that Roy Whiting only received a 50 year sentence for kidnapping and murdering little Sarah Payne, and had his sentenced further reduced by a UK judge by 10 years. Yet shooting two police officers, who are trained to do their jobs and enter the profession knowing there are serious risks to their lives carries a whole life sentence – was Sarah’s life worth less than the two police officers? The justice system fails the victims and the most vulnerable members of our society in every way and further ignores safeguards to protect the innocent victims of miscarriages of justice.

Meanwhile, Jeremy Bamber whose name was banded around continually and who after all carried the high profile publicity in the case, sits for 28 years in prison repeatedly pleading for anyone to listen to the overwhelming evidence showing his innocence. Shh, for this should not be mentioned.

Chris ‘black cap’ Grayling (B.A History, Sussex Uni.) appeared against a backdrop of sunshine, with a head you could fry an egg on, and threw his weight about like a big bad tempered tomato. I was surprised he hadn’t added that all those convicted of any crime at all should be hanged to save the treasury purse whether they were innocent or not. (After all there would be more money to kill innocent civilians in countries with a lot of oil.) Indeed after Grayling’s B&B furore, I’m surprised he didn’t add that anyone Gay should also be ‘hanged by the neck until dead’.

‘Reaper’ Grayling also sits at the head of the ‘independent’ Criminal Cases Review Commission, giving a ministerial stamp to anyone wishing to appeal their conviction, so don’t be surprised if appeals against serious crimes don’t get past his scythe. Nevertheless, if you appeal a parking fine conviction, particularly in the stomping ground of the Royal Grammar School, Bucks, you might find it’s overturned – this important role of the CCRC should not go un-noticed by the Great British Public. Remembering that that MP’s who really do need that pay rise, (to cover the loss of expenses claims) will only be possible because the rest of us workers took pay cuts, job cuts, and already suffered a lot of ‘curtailing’ ourselves. What a very fair system that is.

All cases of appeals against conviction should be heard by a judicial authority not a political one, the evidence in Jeremy Bamber’s case is jaw dropping, and the long political arm will ‘curtail’ justice in every movement it can.

The longer we have to put up with justice run by seedy criminals themselves masquerading as ‘honest’ politicians, the longer crime in the judiciary will continue, but now, even if just for one day, Bamber has had the last laugh, and has at a least seen politics with egg on it’s face once more.