Is It Acceptable For An Mp To Break The Law

[youngmafbog]

http://news.sky.com/story/1152122/caroline-lucas-given-fracking-arrest-court-date

As this particular case has not been in court she is of course innocent at present.

However, looking more generally (and not specifically to fracking) is it acceptable for an MP to get into a position of breaking the law and being arrested for what is in effect civil unrest? (or for any other reason for that matter)

I'm not aiming anything at the Greens or any other party here.

[Canary42]

Since it appears to be lawful* for the police to kill innocent unarmed members of the public, I would be reluctant to condemn the latter for occasionally acting in the manner described here.

*i.e. nobody has been prosecuted.

[FredPuli43]

Depends what the protestors are doing,LG. A march down the Strand causes as little inconvenience as possible, being authorised as to time and place to that end. A whole lot of protestors turning up and sitting down in Whitehall in peak hours, or in my farm entrance ( protesting that I am against fox hunting perhaps?) would be a nuisance.

[ABerrant]

birdie1971 - "the police constables on the scene have been given a legal order to move them on, what tactic do you suppose they should use when the protesters refuse to budge? Harsh language perhaps? ...I can assure you that it is impossible to move someone without using force of some kind if that person is of a mind not to be moved. Watching the video, the amount of force used to remove the gentleman was entirely proportionate and necessary"

Reasonable proportionate force I agree with - by what measure is the use of pressure points to (by definition) inflict pain proportionate? Why not just kick him in the head?

[Svejk]

Now you're talking.

[atalanta]

As Lor5d Denning said, "Be ye never so high, the law is above you."