About Time?

[New Judge]

Five Just Stop Oil protesters have been jailed for four and five years each for causing huge disruption on the M25 in November 2022.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c880xjx54mpo

They have been jailed under a law of "conspiracy to cause a public nuisance", introduced by the Tories.

Leaving aside that they will only serve 40% of their sentences, do you think the new government will ditch this law? It seems to be doing exactly what it was intended to do. Counsel for the main conspirator, Roger Hallam, told the court that his client had since rejected direct action campaigning due to its limitations and changed his approach to more conventional political campaigning. If that's true, the law seems to have had some effect. But will it go the way of the anti-strike law into Labour's dustbin?

 

[jourdain2]

I sincerely hope not.  Labour must be aware of the lack of public support for this sort of demo., so I hope that they will leave well alone.

[ToraToraTora]

Made my day judge, lets hope the porridge is brutal.

[Hymie]

After 14 years of corrupt/incompetent Tory rule, Labour has got far too much on their plate to worry about things like this.

[New Judge]

"...Labour has got far too much on their plate to worry about things like this."

One can but hope, Hymie, one can but hope.

[naomi24]

It's no problem for Labour, hymie.  The conservatives put the law to deal with it in place before they left.

[Stableford]

Excellent, the judge deserves several medals for his services to humanity.

[Deskdiary]

If my memory serves me correctly, the length of these sentences are such that they are never spent. Good. This will have implications for the rest of their lives.

[Old_Geezer]

4 or 5 years eh ? Well under our new government they'll likely be out by the weekend then.

[tomus42]

//But will it go the way of the anti-strike law into Labour's dustbin?//

I doubt it. New goverments tend to hang onto laws that they opposed in opposition, but find quite useful once they get into power.

[jno]

that's strange, when another group of protesters blocked central London at rush hour, there seem to have been no arrests at all, and no outrage on Answerbank either. I wonder why.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1881546/farmer-tractor-protest-london-westminster

[ynnafymmi]

@00.21.Probably because the vast majority of British people stand by our farmers and are supportive of our farmers.The vast majority of the British people are not supportive of the over-priviliged,upper middle-class Just Stop Oil numpties.

[Deskdiary]

^^^False equivalency.

[Deskdiary]

Mine was in response to 12.21am.

[sandyRoe]

Does an exemplary sentence need to be so long?

Wouldn't a year in prison be more than enough to send a very clear message that these protests come with a high cost for the protestors?

[ynnafymmi]

Up here in Scotland the Grangemouth refinery is going to be closed down,puting hundreds of working class Scots out of a job.Thanks a lot JSO,thanks a lot Scottish Green Party.

[youngmafbog]

//Wouldn't a year in prison be more than enough to send a very clear message that these protests come with a high cost for the protestors?//

No, this is effectivley 8.5 years before being spent (I think) so during this period there will be no trips to some countries, higher insurance aon houes/car (if you can get it) and of course little chance of a wonder job.

Of course this criminal record will stay with them for life now.

[ToraToraTora]

sandy: "Wouldn't a year in prison be more than enough to send a very clear message that these protests come with a high cost for the protestors?" - maybe but they'd be out in 5 months 2 ish years of thuggery and **ggery is much more pleasing to the public. Hope they sent them to a proper nick.

[youngmafbog]

Soon be friends with Bubba and his mates TTT.

Wont be smiling then!

[Khandro]

 Back in March a 'pro-Palestine' young woman sprayed and slashed a historic painting of Lord Balfour in Trinity College, University of Cambridge causing thousands of pounds worth of damage 

As far as Douglas Murray in The Spectator, (& I) can tell, no prosecution has taken place.

It would appear that the University is too woke to press charges.

 

[johnny.5]

these sentences I think will likely be reduced and suspended upon appeal