When the Law is an Ass
Every so often a case comes along to prove the old adage - 'the law is an ass'.
Yesterday two convicted murderers - who tortured and killed a vulnerable, mentally ill man in a hammer attack - were released from their 18 year prison sentences because of a 'technicality'.
An important technicality involving the lack of clear directions from the original trial judge - but a technical or procedural point nonetheless.
The police are not looking for anyone else for this horrific crime - the two 'murderers' are the only suspects - and blamed each other for the offence - which is not unusual in these horrible cases.
But now they have walked out of jail Scot-free - which is scandalous.
After all this time, you would think that Scots law would be sufficiently sophisticated to deal with this kind of situation - in a way that still delivered justice, but protected the rights of the murdered victim - as well as the two accused.
Presumably some arcane point of law prevents this from happening - but that is why in the court of public opinion - the law looks like a complete ass.
Yesterday two convicted murderers - who tortured and killed a vulnerable, mentally ill man in a hammer attack - were released from their 18 year prison sentences because of a 'technicality'.
An important technicality involving the lack of clear directions from the original trial judge - but a technical or procedural point nonetheless.
The police are not looking for anyone else for this horrific crime - the two 'murderers' are the only suspects - and blamed each other for the offence - which is not unusual in these horrible cases.
But now they have walked out of jail Scot-free - which is scandalous.
After all this time, you would think that Scots law would be sufficiently sophisticated to deal with this kind of situation - in a way that still delivered justice, but protected the rights of the murdered victim - as well as the two accused.
Presumably some arcane point of law prevents this from happening - but that is why in the court of public opinion - the law looks like a complete ass.
