Why The Secrecy?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2713027/Secret-justice-row-judge-bans-naming-two-councillors-failed-pay-council-tax-two-years-cause-distress-against-human-rights.html

[factor-fiction]

From the article:

It was said that council tax was a ‘private matter’ between residents and the local authority, and said the personal circumstances given by the councillors as mitigating factors were such that naming them would be ‘unfair’.
A First-tier Tribunal, which hears appeals against the decisions of public bodies, later backed the anonymity ruling.
Unusually, the council’s lawyers even asked if they could contribute to the decision-making process.
In a written judgment, Judge Robin Callender Smith said the circumstances of the councillors’ cases put them in a position where they could ‘significantly and legitimately have expected not to be named’.
Citing the European Convention of Human Rights, he added: ‘Releasing the information could potentially cause unnecessary and unjustified damage and distress to the individuals.’

[tonyav]

Don't know, aog. But I bet this councillor wished he'd had the same judge.
http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2014/07/31/councillor-admits-8k-benefit-fraud/

[anotheoldgit]

tonyav

/// Don't know, aog. But I bet this councillor wished he'd had the same judge. ///

Or lived in Bolton apparently.

[Gromit]

There are quote a few Asian Councillors in Bolton

http://www.bolton.gov.uk/website/news/Documents/Meet%20your%20councillors.pdf

Join the dots . . . . . :-)

[mushroom25]

Gromit, I've read the mail article carefully, and there's no mention of the ethnicity of the alleged miscreants.

Join which dots, and to where, exactly?

[Zacs-Master]

Yes, I'm a bit puzzled by gromit's post too.

[anotheoldgit]

I think I understand what he is saying, but I will leave it to Gromit to explain in case I may be wrong.

[Gromit]

5 councillors in Bradford

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/main-topics/general-news/exclusive-the-councillors-who-don-t-pay-council-tax-1-5662118

[anotheoldgit]

Gromit

Now you have me confused, are those councillors Asian?

[Gromit]

// Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 makes it an offence for a councillor in council tax arrears (with at least two months unpaid bills) to vote at a meeting of the council, a committee or of the council’s executive where financial matters relating to council tax are being considered. It is also an offence if any such councillor present, who is aware of the arrears, fails to disclose that they are in arrears of council tax. //

All votes at full council meetings in which these councillors participated must be invalid, or at least could be contested. If they voted on finacial matters, such as setting budgets, or indeed approving the Council Tax rate, are potentially not legal.

[mushroom25]

yes, but what's that got to do with ethnicity?

[Gromit]

A councillor ( who was named ) in Batley was prosecuted for voting in Council meetings when she was in arrears.
Unbelievably, she escaped justice on the grounds she didn't know the law, so because she was ignorant of her responsibilities as a councillor, the magistrate let her off.

// Coun Jean Calvert (Lab, Ashbrow) was accused of two offences – that she twice voted in council meetings on matter relating to council tax while she was in arrears with her own council tax by at least two months.

But at Bradford Magistrates’ Court today (Monday) District Judge Sue Bouch ruled that Coun Calvert was not aware of the rules. //

http://www.batleynews.co.uk/news/local/kirklees-councillor-not-guilty-of-breaking-tax-voting-rules-1-6385087

[THECORBYLOON]

GROMIT and ANOTHEOLDGIT, there are ten Councillors with Asian names out of seventy-five, so what?

[THECORBYLOON]

That should be sixty-five and not seventy-five.

[anotheoldgit]

THECORBYLOON

/// GROMIT and ANOTHEOLDGIT, there are ten Councillors with Asian ///

I know you can't resist a dig at me on each and every occasion, but this time it was not me who mentioned ethnicity.

[sandyRoe]

Whatever happened to: 'Ignorance of the law is no excuse.'?

[THECORBYLOON]

I didn't say you had mentioned ethnicity but I thought I would point it out to GROMIT who first raised it and to you since ethnicity preys on your mind most of the time. Since the names are not known, both of them could be English through and through.

[anotheoldgit]

THECORBYLOON

/// I didn't say you had mentioned ethnicity but I thought I would point it out to GROMIT who first raised it and to you since ethnicity preys on your mind most of the time. ///

Then why didn't you also include mass immigration, or the nasty left, or quite a number of other things that might 'prey on my mind' from time to time?

And why not also blame me for every other little thing that other ABers might wish to express, which doesn't fit in with your own particular agenda,

[THECORBYLOON]

I didn't mention those other issues because no-one else had raised them.

[sp1814]

AOG

I assume that you didn't think that the ethnicity of the councillors to be an issue, because things like that rarely cross your mind.

So, what was it that pricked your interest? Have you got any theories? Do you think it might be a Freemason thing? That's my guess...what's yours?