International Law
prisonlawinsideout 
A mixture of law, politics, humour and biography.
Post Frequency: 11.8/day Last Entry: June 30, 2009 at 07:13:00 Recent Entries: 2057
By John Hirst
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Prisoners Votes Case aired on the radio on Iain Dale's radio show
Posted on June 30, 2009Prisoners Votes Case aired on the radio on Iain Dale's radio show.Listen here.John Hirst, Jailhouselawyer, appears twice within the first hour.
Association of Prisoners Constitution
Posted on June 22, 2009Association of Prisoners Constitutionimg img_0001 img_0002 img_0003 img_0004 img_0005 img_0006 IMG_0007 img_0008
Mark Leech - The Truth
Posted on June 16, 2009Mark Leech - The TruthBy Ben Gunn(Click on the images to read)
Ministry of Justice censors prisoner for fear of offending Osama Bin Laden
Posted on June 10, 2009Ministry of Justice censors prisoner for fear of offending Osama Bin LadenCartoon censored from UK prisoners magazine Inside Time for upsetting Muslim prisoners, 2009Related link...From Hull Daily Mail (late edition) In Brief (not online)Prison paper stoppedHull: Almost 50,000 copies of a prisoner newspaper have been pulled from jails across the country after Muslim clerics complained about an article written by a Hull inmate...
Committee on Petitions
Posted on June 07, 2009Committee on PetitionsCommittee on PetitionsThe ChairmanBrusselsCL/nmh[02-COM.PETI(2009)D/29813]Mr John HirstAssociation of Prisoners5 Adderbury CrescentAdderbury GroveUK - HU5 1AT HullUnited Kingdom308742 04.06.2009Subject: Petition Nr.0268/2009 (reference to be quoted in all correspondence)Dear Mr Hirst,I would like to inform you that the Committee on Petitions has begun its examination of your petition...
Spot the deliberate mistakes
Posted on May 02, 2009Spot the deliberate mistakesThe Advertising Standards Authority has judged Mark Leech, editor of ConVerse, a rag, to be guilty of fraud in his claims for the circulation figures of his rag.The fraudster Mark Leech has published a fraudulent version of the ASA findings and claims that he was found not guilty.
Mark Leech and ConVerse proved to be frauds
Posted on April 29, 2009Mark Leech and ConVerse proved to be fraudsASA AdjudicationsSpyhole Press Ltd t/a ConVerse175 Hill LaneManchesterM9 6RLNumber of complaints: 1 Date: 29 April 2009Media: Press generalSector: Publishing AdA front-page flash on ConVerse - a newspaper distributed to prisons - stated "THE HIGHEST CIRCULATION NATIONAL NEWSPAPER FOR PRISONERS...
The future is in our hands
Posted on April 02, 2009The future is in our handsBy: Ben Gunn - HMP Shepton MalletLifer Ben Gunn announces that he is the newly appointed General Secretary of the Association of Prisoners and challenges all prisoners to play their part in bringing about changeIt seems that I have been ?anointed?; a wizened hand reached down from Hull and passed on the baton that is the General Secretary of the Association of Prisoners - AoP...
The law should stand up for prisoners too
Posted on April 01, 2009The law should stand up for prisoners tooBy Eric AllisonThroughout my association with the penal system - a link stretching back over 50 years - there has always been talk and hope that, one day, prisoners would gain "rights". And the fight for those rights has not been limited to lobbying...
Prisoners votes case on The Politics Show
Posted on March 22, 2009Prisoners votes case on The Politics ShowThe Politics Show Yorkshire and LincolnshireFast forward to 30 minutes for discussion of prisoners votes case.
UK: Prisoners' Association criticises White Paper
Posted on March 21, 2009UK: Prisoners' Association criticises White Paper* Subject: [prisoner-rights] UK: Prisoners' Association criticises White Paper* Date: Wed, 17 Jul 2002 15:07:26 +0100The Association of PrisonersPRESS RELEASEImmediate Release - No EmbargoPrisoners' Association criticises White PaperAn organisation campaigning for the rights of prisoners has criticised the White Paper, "Justice for All", published this afternoon by the Home Secretary...
Prisoners let down by the system
Posted on March 21, 2009Prisoners let down by the systemPublished Date: 29 August 2004YOUR article ?Pants protest against Scots prisons? (News, August 22), concerning the Association of Scottish Prisoners? efforts to secure the basic necessities for hygiene contained some inaccuracies which, I feel, distorted the issue...
TV Licensing abandons case against unlicensed TV owner
Posted on March 21, 2009TV Licensing abandons case against unlicensed TV ownerA former prisoner at the forefront of prison law advocacy has overturned a TV licensing conviction on appeal. John Hirst said that he used his television only for watching videos, DVDs and CCTV footage of his own house but was found 'technically guilty'...
AoP early days
Posted on March 21, 2009AoP early daysRye Hill (Warwickshire)Group 4 Falck and Carillion manage this prison (capacity 600). In April 2001, according to the Association of Prisoners, a teacher in the prison was not allowed to take her copy of the Guardian with her into the education unit...
Prison Conditions at HMP Woodhill - Babar Ahmad
Posted on March 21, 2009Prison Conditions at HMP Woodhill - Babar Ahmad26/10/2004Dear brothers, sisters, friends, supporters and well-wishers,Assalamu alaikumI have received a number of letters asking me to describe some of the prison life here at Woodhill. I will attempt to highlight some details about life here, bearing in mind that the conditions and regime vary from prison to prison...
Prisoners can talk to media, says judge
Posted on March 21, 2009Prisoners can talk to media, says judgeBy Ian Burrell Home Affairs CorrespondentSaturday, 23 March 2002 Serving prisoners won the right yesterday to take part in radio programmes and speak to newspapers about issues relating to Britain's jails and the inmates held inside them...
AOP's, Association of Prisoners
Posted on March 21, 2009AOP's, Association of PrisonersBy Mark Barnsley I was interested to read about these latest plans to form a prisoners union, (AOP's, Association of Prisoners) and would be interested to know more. I fully support the idea of prisoners organising to fight back against the current wave of repression, but it would clearly be naive to think that the system would welcome or applaud the formation of any genuinely radical organisation...
Ben Gunn General Secretary of the AoP bio
Posted on March 21, 2009Ben Gunn General Secretary of the AoP bio
Innocent Inmates Association of Ohio
Posted on March 21, 2009Innocent Inmates Association of OhioPrisoners Are Now Telling You What Really Happens in Your Judicial System and the Prison Business
Palestinian prisoners; Israeli diplomats
Posted on March 21, 2009Palestinian prisoners; Israeli diplomatsBy Gideon RachmanAugust 2, 2007 10:35am Life for the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank is getting steadily worse. On Wednesday, an Israeli official told me that the Gaza economy is in a ?state of total collapse?...
Who
Posted on February 25, 2009WhoThe General Secretary of the Association of Prisoners, is a serving prisoner, who wishes to remain anonymous at this point in time, for personal reasons, and will make a public announcement in due course. In the meantime, John Hirst aka Jailhouselawyer, to the online community, is the former General Secretary of the AoP, and presently its Legal Adviser, Political Adviser, and Media Adviser...
Sorry I have moved
Posted on February 22, 2009Sorry I have movednew URL http://jailhouselawyersblog.blogspot.com
Animal pictures of the week
Posted on February 21, 2009Animal pictures of the weekBlanche, a five-year-old albino wallaby, is seen with her three-month-old regular-coloured joey in her pouch, at Tropical Wings Wildlife centre in Essex A sea otter in Elkhorn Slough Estuary, California, wields a video camera...
Illegal immigrants set fire to a detention centre on the Italian island of Lampedusa
Posted on February 21, 2009Illegal immigrants set fire to a detention centre on the Italian island of LampedusaIllegal immigrants and asylum-seekers set fire to part of their detention centre on the southern Italian island of Lampedusa after a failed escape attempt
Submerged pier in the sunset in the lake District
Posted on February 21, 2009Submerged pier in the sunset in the lake DistrictI have the same scene in a photo/painting on my bedroom wall above my bed...
Jack Straw artwork
Posted on February 21, 2009Jack Straw artworkJack Straw spends £170,000 on artwork for his officesJack Straw, the Justice Secretary, has spent nearly £170,000 of taxpayers' money on artwork for his office.Is there no end to this man's corruption?
Computer mouse gives elusive Chinese cat serious headache
Posted on February 20, 2009Computer mouse gives elusive Chinese cat serious headacheDid Chinese prison guards batter a prisoner to death and then claim he died playing hide and seek?What a pity that my blog is still banned in China by the Great Firewall of China...
Harman: I take it that's a yes then?
Posted on February 20, 2009Harman: I take it that's a yes then?Harriet Harman: I'm not trying to replace Gordon BrownLabour's deputy leader Harriet Harman has dismissed reports she was positioning herself to replace Gordon Brown as Prime Minister.Given that MPs are famous for being economical with the truth, save for when a woman says "no" to sex she means it, in this instance a negative from Harperson means exactly the opposite, that's affirmative.
Firefox why don't you sort it out?
Posted on February 19, 2009Firefox why don't you sort it out?Several times today I have got the message "Firefox has encountered a problem and needs to close". It is so frustrating. All I am doing is visiting my regular sites such as the Telegraph and Guardian. I tolerated this intrusion up to a point...
Allo Allo what have we got 'ere then?
Posted on February 19, 2009Allo Allo what have we got 'ere then?It's just not cricket is it? René Artois Allen Stanford
Jailhouselawyer libelled by the Timesonline
Posted on February 19, 2009Jailhouselawyer libelled by the TimesonlineLast night I sent the following email to the editor of the Timesonline...Hi It has come to my attention that I have been libelled by the Timesonline. I seek that the necessary correction is made. In addition, whilst I accept that in the offending article you have only printed the opinions of other people, nevertheless, those comments are inaccurate and mislead your readers...
Hilary Benn suffers torture
Posted on February 19, 2009Hilary Benn suffers tortureHilary Benn tortured by radio journalist.Absolutely brilliant. Not a patch on the old man. Move over Paxo, there's a new kid on the block. I suspect that Hilary Benn's career is over after this debacle. If it isn't it should be...
Curtain twitching Tory neighbours spy on Labour Home Secretary
Posted on February 18, 2009Curtain twitching Tory neighbours spy on Labour Home SecretaryThe Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, says she is confident she will be cleared by a formal sleaze inquiry into allegations that she misused her Parliamentary housing allowance while lodging with her sister...
Prime Minister in waiting
Posted on February 18, 2009Prime Minister in waitingAnd waiting, and waiting, and waiting.....Zzzzzzzzz. If anyone remembers the old battle axe below, it's one good reason not to let Harperson anywhere near the seat of power. Apparently, she is making a bid for power.
Er?
Posted on February 18, 2009Er?The slimeball Mark Leech claims Mr Straw had told him: "The problem with Mr Biggs is no-one has formally asked me for his release".However, Mr Biggs, who is an individual... A Ministry of Justice spokeswoman said: "We do not comment on individuals"...
Law Lords back Qatada deportation
Posted on February 18, 2009Law Lords back Qatada deportationThe Law Lords have given the go-ahead for the deportation from the UK of the radical cleric Abu Qatada.Five Lords unanimously threw out his appeal against returning to Jordan where he faces jail for terrorism.Qatada had alleged that his conviction in Jordan was based on evidence extracted by torture...
Confessions of a Guantanamo guard
Posted on February 18, 2009Confessions of a Guantanamo guardDetention. Humiliation. Torture. The world can only guess atthe horrors of Camp X-Ray. But now Brandon Neely, a former guard, wants to tell the shocking story of what happened there ? and why it shames America. Interview by Almerindo Ojeda
Female prison officer 'ran lucrative drugs racket' inside jail
Posted on February 18, 2009Female prison officer 'ran lucrative drugs racket' inside jail A female prison officer ran a lucrative drugs racket inside a London jail and took up to a dozen orders a day from an inmate using a smuggled mobile phone, a court heard. Patricia Ollivierre, 30, was caught by a sniffer dog at Wormwood Scrubs and found with more than 17 grams of heroin and a large block of cannabis stashed in her car, jurors were told...
Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe 'fit to be freed from Broadmoor'
Posted on February 18, 2009Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe 'fit to be freed from Broadmoor'Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe is fit to be freed from Broadmoor, according to doctors at the high security hospital.The decision is a major step towards 62-year-old Sutcliffe's aim of being freed altogether...
What did you get in your hamper from Harrods little girlie?
Posted on February 17, 2009What did you get in your hamper from Harrods little girlie?No sex charges for Harrods ownerHarrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed will not face charges over claims he sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.Whatever the pay off, it would not have been anything like the amount paid by Michael Jackson for silence...
There's gold in them thar jails: Ease prison overcrowding and save money
Posted on February 17, 2009There's gold in them thar jails: Ease prison overcrowding and save moneyFinding cash behind barsAfter decades spent getting tough on crime, some states are looking to save money by reducing their prison populationsWhich politician this side of the pond is going to be brave enough to take the splash to save our nations cash?
England has turned itself into a penal colony
Posted on February 17, 2009England has turned itself into a penal colony George Monbiot argues...England, that great colonising land, has itself become a colonyOnly one of the UK's four nations is deprived of its own assembly. You need not love the place to call for it to have a parliamentAn English Parliament? Why not, indeed!
Judges possess the weapon to challenge surveillance
Posted on February 17, 2009Judges possess the weapon to challenge surveillanceThe British are the most spied upon people in the democratic world, but only the judiciary can restrain parliamentIn times of heightened tension, caused by war, terrorism or other public emergency, ministers tend to exert their powers to the limits of what they believe to be politically acceptable and legally permissible...
Whitehall devised torture policy for terror detainees
Posted on February 17, 2009Whitehall devised torture policy for terror detainees Binyam Mohamed is at the centre of Pakistani torture claimsMI5 interrogations in Pakistan agreed by lawyers and governmentA policy governing the interrogation of terrorism suspects in Pakistan that led to British citizens and residents being tortured was devised by MI5 lawyers and figures in government, according to evidence heard in court...
Government in attempt to circumvent the Freedom of Information Act
Posted on February 17, 2009Government in attempt to circumvent the Freedom of Information ActLet me get this straight, the Government is arguing that we make the police more effective by making them less accountable?Data on police accidents and firearms no longer sent to Home OfficePolice will no longer have to tell the Home Office how many road accidents involve officers or when police use firearms in a controversial bid to cut red tape...
Ex-spy chief: We risk a police state
Posted on February 17, 2009Ex-spy chief: We risk a police stateDame Stella Rimington, the former head of MI5, has warned that the fear of terrorism is being exploited by the Government to erode civil liberties and risks creating a police state.Dame Stella accused ministers of interfering with people?s privacy and playing straight into the hands of terrorists...
Breakdown in communication all around
Posted on February 16, 2009Breakdown in communication all aroundA man who attacked and sexually assaulted a woman in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, after tricking his way into her home in May last year, has been given a Community Service Order by a judge.The man who is profoundly deaf and does not understand sign language and has a foreign sounding name, probably failed to understand that his victim did not want sex with him...
Derek Draper throws a tantrum and threatens Alex Hilton
Posted on February 16, 2009Derek Draper throws a tantrum and threatens Alex HiltonHat-Tip to Iain Dale: "Draper's Downfall"How prophetic the YouTube's title was given this next story...Hat-Tip to Iain Dale: Alex Hilton Warned: "We'll Trash Your Reputation" Mr Hilton is the unwanted and poorer brother to Paris...
Portuguese lorry driver jailed for 3 years for killing family
Posted on February 16, 2009Portuguese lorry driver jailed for 3 years for killing familyA Portuguese lorry driver who killed a family of six in a motorway crash in Cheshire has been jailed for three years.Three years for a family of six, parole after 18 months, does not appear to be a severe enough penalty under the circumstances...
British Institute of Human Rights and Jack Straw exposed for what they really are
Posted on February 16, 2009British Institute of Human Rights and Jack Straw exposed for what they really are"There is no more important contribution that we can make to society than strong, publicly-spirited investigative journalism" (Tony Burman, editor-in-chief of CBC News).This exposé is intended to highlight the hypocrisy surrounding human rights in this country...
Keith Vaz in Guido-like car crash on Newsnight
Posted on February 16, 2009Keith Vaz in Guido-like car crash on NewsnightKeith Vaz you are a Plonker of the First Order! Fancy appearing on Newsnight to talk about something he has not got a clue about.KW: Have you seen the film?KV: No.Duh!
Prison plans spark safety fears
Posted on February 16, 2009Prison plans spark safety fearsPublic safety will be jeopardised by plans to change working practices in state-run prisons, the Prison Officers Association has warned.I had to laugh at Brian Caton, General Secretary of the Prison Officer's Association, as he described working in a modern prison as being like working down a coal mine in the 1950s...
Police 'still institutionally racist'
Posted on February 15, 2009Police 'still institutionally racist'The police force is still institutionally racist despite efforts to tackle the issue, a review by the Runnymede Trust has claimed. The report by the influential Runnymede Trust criticised the failure to promote and retain black officers and the overuse of stop and search techniques against black and multi-ethnic groups...
Let's not just talk about human rights let's actually possess and be able to enforce them
Posted on February 15, 2009Let's not just talk about human rights let's actually possess and be able to enforce themThe 'faces of human rights' are explored at the British Institute of Human Rights conference Changing the face of human rights28 January 2009The British Library, LondonJack Straw has given the keynote speech at the annual conference of the British Institute of Human Rights...
Don't imprison their minds
Posted on February 15, 2009Don't imprison their mindsAccess to literature can change prisoners' lives ? the Tories are wrong to advocate a restriction on books they can readSo, the Conservative party are up in arms at the news that prisoners have access to books about crime, including some actually written by criminals...
Happy St Valentine's Day
Posted on February 14, 2009Happy St Valentine's DayFor my one and only true love...Cherrypie and JMB/Devonshire Dumpling/Noclue and Gingersnaps...and any other girls who know me.Photo: Hat-Tip to Cherrypie
Train robber Biggs hospitalised
Posted on February 14, 2009Train robber Biggs hospitalisedGreat Train robber Ronnie Biggs has been taken to hospital after falling ill in prison.Biggs was moved to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital in Norwich from nearby Norwich Prison, his son Michael Biggs has confirmed to the BBC...
Watching and waiting for the sea eagle
Posted on February 12, 2009Watching and waiting for the sea eagleThere is real excitement on the Solway coast of Cumbria.A white-tailed sea eagle has been spotted feeding on the beach there for the first time in more than 200 years.I know I have already posted on this story, but this repeat performance is just for Cherrypie, this time the photos are of the actual white-tailed sea eagle;)
Johnson 'F-word tirade' at MP Vaz
Posted on February 12, 2009Johnson 'F-word tirade' at MP Vaz London Mayor Boris Johnson is alleged to have launched a verbal tirade at Keith Vaz, the Labour chair of the Commons Home Affairs committee.The two clashed in a phone conversation after Mr Johnson gave evidence to the committee about a Tory MP's arrest...
Truancy jailing every two weeks
Posted on February 12, 2009Truancy jailing every two weeksA parent is jailed for their child's truancy once a fortnight every school term in England and Wales, analysis of court statistics shows.A does something wrong so we jail B. It may make sense to some but the logic of it is lost on me.
Sexual frustration plagues prison life
Posted on February 12, 2009Sexual frustration plagues prison lifeIt's a taboo subject in jail, but prisoners denied conjugal relations will not only be childless but also suffer psychological damage"Facilities must be provided to enable UK prisoners to enjoy conjugal visits," a landmark European court ruling concluded this week...
Be afraid, be very afraid
Posted on February 12, 2009Be afraid, be very afraidDocumenting dissent is under attackFrom Monday, you could be arrested for taking and publishing a photograph of someone in intelligence, the police or armed forcesWhat ever happened to my country whilst I slept? I awake and find myself having a nightmare...
I wish that the Independent would say sorry for its silly Live Journal blog
Posted on February 12, 2009I wish that the Independent would say sorry for its silly Live Journal blogWhy don't they get a decent one like My Telegraph or Comment is Free?It's PC gone mad! How did taking offence become a national obsession?BTW, it's nice to see the old Robertson's golliwog making a come back...
Australian police release photograph of arson suspect fleeing the scene
Posted on February 12, 2009Australian police release photograph of arson suspect fleeing the sceneThe creature, thought to be the lesser spotted Rolf Harris...
Sun editor to be burnt at the stake and the flames fanned by prison library books
Posted on February 12, 2009Sun editor to be burnt at the stake and the flames fanned by prison library booksShock and horror as the Sun discovers that prison libraries stock books. However, it is no surprise that the Sun editor, Rebekah Wade, has the attention span of a dead fly...
The plot thickens...
Posted on February 11, 2009The plot thickens...Last week I phoned Daniel Vulliamy MA,LLM,FRSA (Senior Lecturer in Industrial Relations at the Centre for Lifelong Learning, at the University of Hull, and we agreed to meet at the PAVE on Princes Avenue at 3pm, today, for drinks and a meal...
Daily Telegraph Assistant Editor Andrew Pierce is a waste of time
Posted on February 11, 2009Daily Telegraph Assistant Editor Andrew Pierce is a waste of timeAssistant Editor Andrew Pierce brings you the latest gossip from the Westminster village."And someone has played a prank on former Home Secretary David Davies. What will Davis, a former SAS soldier, do when he finds the culprit?"...
Rare eagle spotted in Cumbria
Posted on February 11, 2009Rare eagle spotted in CumbriaBird watchers have descended on the Solway Firth after the first reported sighting of a sea eagle in Cumbria for 200 years. Video link here.
Dutch MP banned from entering UK
Posted on February 11, 2009Dutch MP banned from entering UKLet me get this straight, the House of Lords has invited this man into the country to appear before the House of Lords but the government has prevented him from entering the country?A Home Office spokesman told The Daily Telegraph: "The Government opposes extremism in all its forms...
Lawful Rebellion
Posted on February 11, 2009Lawful RebellionJailhouselawyer is considering engaging in an act of Lawful Rebellion against the UK.Apparently it is lawful under Article 61 of Magna Carta 1215.Bone of contention: "In the case of prisoner disenfranchisement, the issue of legitimacy is manifested in two ways...
Donal Blaney as you've never seen him before in his naked glory
Posted on February 11, 2009Donal Blaney as you've never seen him before in his naked glory Click on image because he is shy to show his faceThe Daily Telegraph captures an odd looking Donal BlaneyUPDATE:The effing idiot is now blaming Islamists for the fires in Australia!
Islam in prison: religion or terrorist threat?
Posted on February 11, 2009Islam in prison: religion or terrorist threat?Many people find religion in prison. It used to be a route through prison life, just like some prisoners take up education or weight lifting. The cynical say that those taking the religious route are escaping, as in ?I have seen the light...
Angel of the North pisses on 'Angel of the Sarf'
Posted on February 10, 2009Angel of the North pisses on 'Angel of the Sarf'Giant horse as high as Statue of Liberty to be south's answer to Angel of the NorthNo it ain't!Related content...A John and Ron production
If the Prison Service did not break the law prisoners could not sue
Posted on February 10, 2009If the Prison Service did not break the law prisoners could not suePrisoners' legal bill 'colossal'The cost to taxpayers of funding legal action brought by prisoners is almost 20 times higher than it was seven years ago, new figures have shown.The answer is simple, if the authorities did not break the law and breach prisoners' legal, civil and human rights, then the taxpayer would save money...
Tesco Extra: Every little assault and battery helps
Posted on February 10, 2009Tesco Extra:Every little assault and battery helps A Tesco store manager falsely accused me of racial abuse, and the security guard committed the common law offence of assault and battery upon me, by laying his hands upon my person and manhandling me out of the store...
An appeal to Londoners who supported the miners:
Posted on February 10, 2009An appeal to Londoners who supported the miners: My name is Davey Hopper. I am the North East Area secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers and would like to get in touch with London folk who were involved in the miners support groups when the strike happened 25 years ago (on March 12)...
Allowing inmates to vote gives them role in society
Posted on February 10, 2009Allowing inmates to vote gives them role in societyFrom South China Morning PostLeaderThe question is no longer whether prisoners should have the right to vote while paying their debt to society, but whether that right should be restricted. A blanket ban on prisoner voting was recently struck down as unconstitutional in the High Court...
Fink: What do you think? Comment Central Times on Line
Posted on February 10, 2009Fink: What do you think? Comment Central Times on LineFink"One can't help wondering what Iran's bloggers would have posted about the 1979 Revolution".Errrrrrrrmmm?Fink, I'm a blogger and I'm wondering what you think about the revolution occurring right under your nose?Every revolution in history started in prison...
Israelis begin voting in general election
Posted on February 10, 2009Israelis begin voting in general electionIsraelis have begun voting in a general election which will choose the prime minister who engages with President Barack Obama's new drive for peace in the Middle East.The only reason I have posted this story, although the Barack Obama aspect is interesting, is to remind the Home Office Media Monitoring Unit of this...
Dolphins and fishermen and a heart warming story
Posted on February 10, 2009Dolphins and fishermen and a heart warming storyHundreds of lost dolphins saved by fishermen in the PhilippinesLocal people and fishermen in the Philippines have guided hundreds of dolphins out to sea after they became trapped in shallow water.
Court Orders California to Cut Prison Population
Posted on February 10, 2009Court Orders California to Cut Prison Population"The California prison system must reduce overcrowding by as many as 55,000 inmates within three years to provide a constitutional level of medical and mental health care, a federal three-judge panel tentatively ruled Monday...
Prisoners voting rights in Hong Kong
Posted on February 09, 2009Prisoners voting rights in Hong KongOn 18 December 2008, I reported on this development.Less than 2 months later, I can report that the Chinese authorities have leaped in front of the UK on the human rights issue of prisoner voting...Article in fullViews sought on prisoner voting rightsThe Constitutional & Mainland Affairs Bureau is seeking public views on three proposals on prisoner voting rights until March 23...
Political cartoon
Posted on February 09, 2009Political cartoonHat-Tip to and stolen from Guido' blog
Prisoners demand right to be fathers after landmark European ruling
Posted on February 09, 2009Prisoners demand right to be fathers after landmark European rulingSix prisoners in British jails have applied to have children with their partners following a landmark European court ruling that their human rights would be breached if they are prevented from becoming fathers...
Rehabilitation a distant second
Posted on February 09, 2009Rehabilitation a distant secondBy: John Bowden - HMP GlenochilJohn Bowden wonders why the Ministry of Justice does not get into step with the Scottish Prison Service and provide a more integrated system of training opportunities for prisoners.Some of you reading this piece will be about to go to or possibly have just been to your prison employment...
Probation officers ? friend or foe?
Posted on February 09, 2009Probation officers ? friend or foe?By: Charles Hanson - HMP Blantyre HouseLifer Charles Hanson looks at the modern role of probation and how it has become more punitive and bound up in bureaucracy.The general perception of the public, and certainly the media, is that probation officers fit into the category of those who are more concerned with offenders than their victims...
Gordon Brown in comic strip tease
Posted on February 08, 2009Gordon Brown in comic strip tease Click on image to enlarge Hat-tip to and stolen from Ron.
Ministry of Justice announces prison overcrowding eased by one vacancy
Posted on February 08, 2009Ministry of Justice announces prison overcrowding eased by one vacancyInmate found hanged in jail cellA prisoner has been found hanged in his cell at HMP Manchester, the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) has confirmed.Trevor Ramsey, 35, was on remand after being convicted of being in possession of drugs with intent to supply...
Harriet the harridan plays Ms Piggy
Posted on February 08, 2009Harriet the harridan plays Ms PiggyHome Secretary Jacqui Smith has denied breaking any rules by claiming "second home" expenses for the house she shares with her husband and children.Why are the taxpayers being burdened by this harridan's life style of luxury? A house in Redditch, a house in her constituency in the West Midlands, and sharing her sister's house in London...
Fed up
Posted on February 08, 2009Fed upI feel full now, having just had breakfast; sausages x 2, eggs x2, bacon x 3, toast x 2, and a mug of Nescafe coffee.Sorry Rocky. There was only the grease left on the plate and cutlery for him to lick up. I made a mental note to treat him to a full English one day...
Mental post-it notes and inanimate things
Posted on February 08, 2009Mental post-it notes and inanimate thingsAs I ran my bath last night, I thought about my long toenails and that they really, really did need clipping because they are curling under. So, I placed my pair of nail clippers on top of my pile of clean clothes to remind me to use them when I got out of the bath...
Former barrister jailed for fraud
Posted on February 07, 2009Former barrister jailed for fraudA former barrister who fled the UK just before being convicted of fraud has been jailed for three years after being extradited from France.Carol Castell von Castell was found guilty in her absence in 2006 of an £80,000 insurance swindle...
It's a case like this which gives compensation culture a bad name
Posted on February 07, 2009It's a case like this which gives compensation culture a bad nameTeacher's £280,000 for attack by boy, 13Woman left in pain and suffering flashbacks after assault at special school wins second-highest awardPost Traumatic Stress Disorder? What about the soldiers genuinely injured in Iraq?
2 pints of milk and a packet of cannabis please
Posted on February 07, 20092 pints of milk and a packet of cannabis pleaseMilkman delivered cannabis to pensionersA milkman delivered cannabis to elderly pensioners on his rounds to help ease their "aches and pains", a court has heard.This explains why Ernie was the fastest milkman in the West!
Muslim prisoners at top security jail double in two years
Posted on February 07, 2009Muslim prisoners at top security jail double in two years Islamic terrorists and other Muslim prisoners at one of Britain's highest security jails have almost doubled in number in the past two years, according to new figures. The population of Muslim inmates at Whitemoor prison in Cambridgeshire has risen from 73 in 2006 to 140 last year - representing around a third of all prisoners...
Thatchers to emigrate
Posted on February 07, 2009Thatchers to emigrateExclusive: In the wake of the BBC attacks it can be revealed that the Thatchers intend to flee the country and ride off into the sunset. Sir Mark Thatcher will be driving. Margaret Thatcher is a former Prime Minister, and was born on 13 October 1925...
As a dog lover I am appalled at this tragedy...
Posted on February 07, 2009As a dog lover I am appalled at this tragedy...A baby is allegedly mauled to death by dogsA three month old baby boy has died after being viciously attacked by two family dogs while in the care of his grandmother.Comment:...But let us not overreact. Particularly, the anti-dog lobby.
CIA warns Barack Obama that British terrorists are the biggest threat to the US
Posted on February 07, 2009CIA warns Barack Obama that British terrorists are the biggest threat to the US Barack Obama has been warned by the CIA that British Islamist extremists are the greatest threat to US homeland security. "They believe that a British-born Pakistani extremist entering the US under the visa waiver programme is the most likely source of another terrorist spectacular on American soil"...
Oh Carol you are but a fool
Posted on February 07, 2009Oh Carol you are but a foolA John and Ron production.
Inside Time: A review of February 2009 issue
Posted on February 07, 2009Inside Time: A review of February 2009 issueFront page: Headline article "Whatever happened to the idea of a 'through the gate' service?" by John Roberts (editorofsorts). Fair play to John for asking some rather forward and embarrassing questions for Phil Wheatley, Director General of NOMS, to answer...
Why throw away a good pair of shoes when you can throw them at a politician instead?
Posted on February 06, 2009Why throw away a good pair of shoes when you can throw them at a politician instead?This pair should be in the stocks...And pelted with some of these from this stock pile...
Is this the kind of government we want?
Posted on February 06, 2009Is this the kind of government we want?Ministers 'misled' judges over torture evidence"Evidence that a British resident was tortured before being flown to Guantanamo Bay may yet see the light of day after senior judges hearing the case were told yesterday they had been misled by the Government"...
The morning after...
Posted on February 06, 2009The morning after...I am a bit tender this morning. The party started just before 6pm and went on until 1am. Kestrel Super cans litter my study/bedroom. I remember saying at one stage that the ganga was good shit. There were times when I found that communication was getting through and being received, it seemed as though we had gone to another level...
Nigger in the wood pile
Posted on February 05, 2009Nigger in the wood pileTorture row: David Miliband denies US threatened to stop sharing intelligence?We never condone or authorise the use of torture,? he said.I said: Liar. Liar."Mr Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, faced calls to make a statement to Parliament today on the treatment of Mr Mohamed"...
Beau D' Or kiss my and RonKnee's arse We are class
Posted on February 05, 2009Beau D' Or kiss my and RonKnee's arse We are classA John and Ron Knee Productionsave for the last one which is all the brain child of Ron.
The weekend starts early in Hull
Posted on February 05, 2009The weekend starts early in HullThursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday it's just one long pub crawl along Beverley Road. It used to be mainly the yoofs and students with a few oldies thrown in. Now the Eastern Bloc have added the Polish, Russian, Latvians etc into the mix of drunken revelers...
Should Europe take in Guantanamo prisoners?
Posted on February 04, 2009Should Europe take in Guantanamo prisoners?One of President Obama's first acts was to order the closure of the Guantanamo camp in Cuba. The question now is where the inmates will go. European leaders are still debating whether to take any detainees. MEPs will debate the issue Tuesday afternoon from 1500 CET...
Methinks I need to bring you all along with me on this
Posted on February 04, 2009Methinks I need to bring you all along with me on thisThoughtsOne of the problems for me coming out of prison is leaving prisoners behind - those I have fought for whilst behind bars.A problem for me in the world outside of prison - is that my creative thinking leaves any trying to follow my thought trail behind...
Is Iain Dale's dog also gay?
Posted on February 04, 2009Is Iain Dale's dog also gay?Notice the limp wrist...My dog Rocky would eat Dale's dog for breakfast...Although I am wondering if he also has Asperger's Syndrome. It is said that dogs take after their owners.
Black President Barack Obama says it's alright to torture a black British man claims David Miliband
Posted on February 04, 2009Black President Barack Obama says it's alright to torture a black British man claims David MilibandAnd UK judges have given the green light to suppress the evidence of torture thereby allowing Honky Obama to continue the Bush regime.UK judges accuse Obama Administration of suppressing torture claimThe Lord Justice Thomas and Mr Justice Lloyd Jones decision is a national disgrace...
Knee-jerk Jack and the Social Contract
Posted on February 04, 2009Knee-jerk Jack and the Social ContractDear (insert prison number here)As you are aware, philosophers signed you up to the Social Contract whilst you were still in your mother?s womb. You may think that this is an unfair contract term, however, that has got nothing whatsoever to do with the Social Contract...
You can say that again...
Posted on February 03, 2009You can say that again...Prison is no jokeOther than Erwin's misspelling of Straw's surname, and the inaccurate claim that Jack Straw has been responsible for prisons and justice since 1997, I agree with what he has said.I do like the Knee-Jerk Jack label...
A present fit for the Queen
Posted on February 03, 2009A present fit for the QueenAs regular readers of Iain Dale's Diary will be aware it is not the type of carriage s/he prefers to drive. However, this one is not for the Queen of the blogosphere. Rather, it is for The Queen. In the same way that Iain Dale is just another blogger, the late Queen Mother is famously reported to have quipped about the Royal Household staff, "There are several queens in Buckingham Palace, but only one Queen Mother"...
Rude awakening
Posted on February 03, 2009Rude awakeningI was dragged out of my deep sleep by Rocky's barking. Dogs bark to communicate. He was saying, rather loudly, "There's somebody out there", and I was concerned that it might disturb the neighbours so I got got out of bed. I looked at the clock, it registered 3...
Quote of the day
Posted on February 03, 2009Quote of the day"Snow. What snow? We would put that on a cake in Canada as icing".From a friend telling me about her lecturer at University complaining about all the students phoning up with excuses for not attending a lecture.Snow joke: what the rest of the world thinks of UKMore of the same...
Is this really sex abuse?
Posted on February 03, 2009Is this really sex abuse?This used to go on all the time, between the boys, in Dr Barnardo's Homes. There were no prosecutions. It was consensual sex, in spite of the age differences. It was sexual experimentation. I suppose the offender will get a stiff sentence? And, placed on the sex offender register? In this case, is it not being blown out of all proportion?Watch out for a future Sun headline, "Baby accused of playing with another baby's genitalia", if the Sun editor knows what the last word means...
What does it really matter?
Posted on February 03, 2009What does it really matter?I have always thought that prison is a topsy-turvy world...Flag mistake at UK-China ceremonyThe government has been criticised for displaying the Union flag upside down at the signing of a trade agreement.Does it mean that the agreement is not really binding, in the same way as when we, as a child, crossed our fingers? I don't think so...
John Prescott go forth and multiply, Jailhouselawyer is still Hull's Premier blogger
Posted on February 03, 2009Iain Dale's Diary: Prescott Puts Me In My Box
You cannot be serious
Posted on February 03, 2009You cannot be seriousI Feel Like A...Says...Andy Murray.
President Obama to carry on torturing prisoners
Posted on February 02, 2009President Obama to carry on torturing prisonersThe highly controversial anti-terror practice of rendition will continue under Barack Obama, it has emerged.Despite ordering the closure of Guantanamo and an end to harsh interrogation techniques, the new president has failed to call an end to secret abductions and questioning...
The Graphelet on line is seeking a subeditor
Posted on February 02, 2009The Graphelet on line is seeking a subeditorBottom scanners to be introduced in prisonsPrisons are set to introduce bottom scanners in an attempt to stop prisoners smuggling mobile phones into jail. The £6,500 chairs are being put in 102 jails across Britain aimed to tackle a surge in phone smuggling...
Breakfast with Nelson Mandela
Posted on February 02, 2009Breakfast with Nelson MandelaI had to get up early this morning because I had an appointment at the Job Centre for 9am, and last night set my radio/alarm clock buzzer for 7am. I heard the buzzer sound, but my mind was telling me I have been over doing it of late and that really I needed more sleep...
Big stink at Christ Church college Oxford University
Posted on February 02, 2009Big stink at Christ Church college Oxford UniversityOxford University tightens security as smells are noticed at all hours of the night.Is it students smoking dope?Hidden explosives?No the stink is that a Big Bullying establishment has picked on a small trader selling kebabs and harassed him to move away...
What do we want?
Posted on February 01, 2009What do we want?Correct me if I am wrong, but I think what we are looking for is honesty in government whether it be in the Commons or Lords.When do we want it? We want it now!Archer and Black to be ousted from LordsSeven more peers face expulsionYou mean like naughty school boys? And, what about Derek Conway? Who says crime doesn't pay? There is something hypocritical about the government informing us that if we want rights we must accept responsibilities...
Bye bye Jefferey we won't miss you...
Posted on February 01, 2009Bye bye Jefferey we won't miss you...
Exclusive: Lord Ahmed to be stripped of Peerage?
Posted on February 01, 2009Exclusive: Lord Ahmed to be stripped of Peerage?Lords fiasco: Tax exiles and convicted criminals to be stripped of peeragesTax exiles and convicted criminals are set to be stripped of their peerages under Government plans to clean up the House of Lords...
Twelve of the best
Posted on February 01, 2009Twelve of the bestThese lovely photos of cats and kittens are some of the final works by renowned artist and wildlife photographer Jane Burton who died in 2007, aged 74Picture: CATERS NEWS AGENCYA new book of her pictures, called 'A Cat's Life', has been published posthumouslyPicture: CATERS NEWS AGENCYPhotographed against a clean, white, background, the pictures capture our furry companions in a host of loveable posesPicture: CATERS NEWS AGENCYJane and her husband Kim Taylor raised and adopted more than 60 cats and she photographed them at their studio in a converted school near Guildford, SurreyPicture: CATERS NEWS AGENCYSome of these mischievous moggies were captured on film during Jane's final months as she battled cancerPicture: CATERS NEWS AGENCYhttp://www...
Bog standard prison sued by prisoner
Posted on January 31, 2009Bog standard prison sued by prisonerA paedophile is claiming £5,000 compensation because his prison cell does not have a toilet, washing facilities and drinking water.David Williams, 43, says his human rights are breached by "a substandard lifestyle" at Exeter Prison in Devon...
Why Sara Payne should walk away
Posted on January 31, 2009Why Sara Payne should walk awaySara Payne starts work as Victims' Champion"She insists that she will walk away if she is not achieving what she wants".Sara Payne states: "I will do everything I can to make victims the forefront of people's minds. Let's look after those people...
Ministry of Justice in prisoner discrimination scandal
Posted on January 31, 2009Ministry of Justice in prisoner discrimination scandalMillions of Iraqis have voted in the first election since 2005, with hardly any violence reported in the first few hours of the vote.Normally, I would not bother to blog about an election in Iraq. However, you may have noticed that I have got this bug up my arse at the moment in relation to the General Election and a citizen's human right to vote, which includes convicted prisoners...
Jack Straw and the elephant in the room at the Ministry of Justice
Posted on January 31, 2009Jack Straw and the elephant in the room at the Ministry of JusticeHuman rights Jack Straw MP, the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice.The Human Rights Act ensures that your human rights are respected by public authorities, and makes it unlawful for them to act against your rights...
I'm confused I don't know about you
Posted on January 30, 2009I'm confused I don't know about youFirst...Gordon Brown makes his racist remark: "Gordon Brown said in 2007... British jobs for British workers".Then...Brown warns countries against protectionismGordon Brown warned today that countries must not resort to protectionism to drag their respective economies out of the global downturn...
Eeeee were a great baker were our dad
Posted on January 30, 2009Eeeee were a great baker were our dadCheck out the other great photos here.
A trip down memory lane
Posted on January 30, 2009A trip down memory lanePrisoners lose landmark court vote caseThree prisoners today lost their landmark High Court battle to be allowed to vote.Their case, against the 1983 Representation of the People Act, was unanimously rejected by two senior judges in London...
Has the government denied Remand prisoners their legal right to vote?
Posted on January 30, 2009Has the government denied Remand prisoners their legal right to vote?The other day Simon Israel of Channel 4 News asked me if I knew how many Remand prisoners are entitled to vote and how many exercised this right. Compare the information immediately below provided by the government, a big fat zero!A PQ on 13 October 2005 revealed that there were no records kept of the number of remand prisoners who are eligible to vote...
Control and safety in prisons at risk
Posted on January 29, 2009Control and safety in prisons at riskControl and safety in prisons is at risk because of growing tensions and "sustained and chronic" pressure, ministers have been warned by the Chief Inspector of Prisons, Dame Anne Owers.
Ouch ouch...
Posted on January 29, 2009Ouch ouch...Handcuffed escaping prisoners run either side of a lamp-post and bang their heads together!
Prisoners, Politics and the Polls
Posted on January 29, 2009Prisoners, Politics and the PollsBy Behan and O'DonnellPRISONERS, POLITICS AND THE POLLS Publish at Scribd or explore others: Academic Work Politics & Governmen universal suffrage hirst v uk(no2)
It's oh so quiet...
Posted on January 28, 2009It's oh so quiet...I have visited my usual haunts, news sites and blogs, but failed to find anything which is deserving of a post. However, I have been thinking about ripping into this idiot Daniel Kawczynski MP and correcting both him and Speaker Martin in relation to Police Powers...
Debate:Prisoners right to vote
Posted on January 28, 2009Debate:Prisoners right to vote"Background and Context of Debate:Many countries restrict the right of those sentenced to imprisonment to vote in elections. For example, convicted prisoners are automatically banned from voting in Armenia, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Luxemburg, Romania, Russia and the United Kingdom...
Prisoners: Voting ? Question
Posted on January 28, 2009Prisoners: Voting ? QuestionHouse of Lords debatesMonday, 15 December 20082:36 pmLord Pannick (Crossbench) Link to this | Hansard sourceTo ask Her Majesty's Government why they have not implemented the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in Hirst v United Kingdom of 6 October 2005 that the disenfranchisement for parliamentary and local government elections of all prisoners is a breach of Protocol 1 to the European Convention on Human Rights...
Lord Bach(side) because he talks out of his arse
Posted on January 28, 2009Lord Bach(side) because he talks out of his arseThe charge:"Lord Bach (Lords in Waiting, HM Household; Labour) My Lords, I cannot give any guarantee to the noble Lord, sympathetic though I am to him usually. I cannot do any better than quote what my noble and learned friend Lord Falconer of Thoroton, then the Lord Chancellor, said in the foreword to the first document that was published on this in December 2006:"Successive UK Governments have held to the view that the right to vote forms part of the social contract between individuals and the State, and that loss of the right to vote, reflected in the current law, is a proper and proportionate punishment for breaches of the social contract that resulted in imprisonment"...
That's alright then: but what are these hairs in the palm of my hands?
Posted on January 27, 2009That's alright then: but what are these hairs in the palm of my hands?Masturbation can be good for the over-50sRelated link...Do You Have Hairy Palms?
Gordon Brown leads the race to run Britain to ruin
Posted on January 27, 2009Gordon Brown leads the race to run Britain to ruinJust when you need a bus there isn't one in sight...
Jailhouse lawyer denied medical appliance to block his law suits
Posted on January 27, 2009Jailhouse lawyer denied medical appliance to block his law suitsBy Dr. B. Cayenne BirdAn important part of the present prison reform should be oversight and protection of the jail house lawyers, paralegals and whistle blowers who exercise their rights while incarcerated...
Jailhouse lawyer under investigation
Posted on January 27, 2009Jailhouse lawyer under investigationThe saga of jailhouse lawyer Michael Ray, the feel-good movie legal story of the year, has run up against a new antagonist: South Carolina?s Attorney General Henry McMaster. According to this AP story, the authorities are investigating Ray, who helped a fellow inmate win Supreme Court review of his drug possession case, for practicing law without a license...
Wrong answer Mr Obama
Posted on January 27, 2009Wrong answer Mr ObamaWhat happened to America on 9/11 was undoubtedly a tragedy. Unfortunately, America's response is a travesty of justice, the opening and operating Guantanamo Bay. The prisoners detained there, given the large scale breaches of human and civil rights, must be set free and paid compensation for the state abuse...
Dawn Butler has official car taken away and is now On The Buses
Posted on January 27, 2009Dawn Butler has official car taken away and is now On The BusesA Ron and John production.
Exclusive: Latest English version of the Lords Prayer
Posted on January 27, 2009Exclusive: Latest English version of the Lords PrayerOur Lord, who art in the House of Lords,Dishonest be thy Name.Thy bribe will come.Hopefully, thy will be done,In court, and not by thy brethren.Give us this day our Sunday Times.And forgive us our undercover reporters...
Royal Mail involved in unlawful collective punishment
Posted on January 27, 2009Royal Mail involved in unlawful collective punishmentRoyal Mail bosses have defended a decision to suspend deliveries to a Bradford street after a postman was attacked by a dog.The delivery ban started after an incident involving a bull mastif on Penfield Grove, Bradford...
Prison reformed?
Posted on January 27, 2009Prison reformed?The former Abingdon Gaol looks set to be turned into apartments and restaurants after planners gave their approval to the redevelopment.The jail was built in 1811 and was turned into a leisure centre in 1974 before closing in 2002.Plans to convert it have been controversial with many local people who wanted more community space...
Mother wins drive ban law change
Posted on January 27, 2009Mother wins drive ban law changeA Teesside mother, whose daughter was killed by a drink-driver, has helped win a change in the law on bans served by jailed motorists.Jan Woodward's daughter Kelly, 19, from Billingham, near Stockton, was killed by a speeding driver who was twice over the legal drink-drive limit in 2005...
I wonder if I still have that birthday card the Krays sent me?
Posted on January 27, 2009I wonder if I still have that birthday card the Krays sent me?Personal possessions of notorious gangsters the Kray twins have fetched more than £100,000 at auction."One of Ronnie's oil paintings, Crucifixion, which was given to a guard at Parkhurst prison, sold for £4,800"...
Does Rebekah Wade editor of the Sun think it is April Fools Day?
Posted on January 27, 2009Does Rebekah Wade editor of the Sun think it is April Fools Day?The Sun editor, Rebekah Wade, last night used her first public speech to warn that only good journalism could save the newspaper industry from the recession.Rolls on floor with laughter....
A bad law?
Posted on January 26, 2009A bad law?Go read for yourselves over at Cynical Chatter from the Underworld.
Sara Payne to become Government's first Victims' Commissioner
Posted on January 26, 2009Sara Payne to become Government's first Victims' CommissionerThe mother of a murdered schoolgirl is to become the Government's first Victims' Commissioner.Sara Payne will represent the interests of those affected by crime and will have an office at the Ministry of Justice...
Try this for comedy: prison policy run by clowns
Posted on January 26, 2009Try this for comedy: prison policy run by clownsThe arts are a valuable tool in prisoner rehabilitation. Jack Straw should know better than to fly into a panic and ban themBy Libby PurvesHeard the one about the Justice Secretary who got frightened by a newspaper? He took too many tabloids...
President Obama and the First Lady Dawn Butler
Posted on January 26, 2009President Obama and the First Lady Dawn ButlerIdeas by JailhouselawyerPhotoshops by RonKnee
A jailhouse lawyer leaves the District Attorney with egg on his face
Posted on January 25, 2009A jailhouse lawyer leaves the District Attorney with egg on his faceSuppose we have a jailhouse lawyer, who sues the local sheriff and district attorney for alleged civil rights violations. Suppose, just after filing that suit, the jailhouse lawyer gets into a fight with deputy sheriff jailers, and comes out on the losing end...
The economic climate made me think of this song
Posted on January 25, 2009The economic climate made me think of this song
Raccoon rescued from town garden
Posted on January 25, 2009Raccoon rescued from town garden A raccoon has been rescued from a tree in a garden in Dorset after a surprised couple found it while birdwatching.Just an unusual tit bit...
A shameful war: Israel in the dock over assault on Gaza
Posted on January 25, 2009A shameful war: Israel in the dock over assault on GazaBy the time the shooting stopped, more than 100 Palestinians had been killed for every Israeli who died. Was every death lawful? And, if not, where does the fault lie?Did Israel ? or its enemy, Hamas ? commit war crimes during 22 days and nights of aerial assault, rocket launches and ground fighting in Gaza? In one sense the question is academic, because Israel will not recognise the conflict as an international one, and has not signed the 1977 Geneva protocol designed to apply to the victims of internal conflicts...
Mystery virus hits 15 million PCs around the world
Posted on January 25, 2009Mystery virus hits 15 million PCs around the worldA mysterious computer virus, the purpose of which has yet to become apparent, is spreading so fast that it has already infected more than 15 million computers around the world. Some six million machines have been contaminated in the past three days alone by the virus, a worm known as Downadup, Conficker or Kido...
Revealed: Labour lords change laws for cash
Posted on January 25, 2009Revealed: Labour lords change laws for cashLABOUR peers are prepared to accept fees of up to £120,000 a year to amend laws in the House of Lords on behalf of business clients, a Sunday Times investigation has found.Four peers ? including two former ministers ? offered to help undercover reporters posing as lobbyists obtain an amendment in return for cash...
The Convict's Opera tour
Posted on January 25, 2009The Convict's Opera tourMax Stafford-Clark directs this piece which tells the story of prisoners staging John Gay's The Beggar's Opera in 1812 Britain.Like a recidivist criminal, that fine director Max Stafford-Clark is returning to the scene of the crime...
Afghanistan's 'Guantanamo' poses new prison problem for Barack Obama
Posted on January 25, 2009Afghanistan's 'Guantanamo' poses new prison problem for Barack ObamaAs Guantanamo Bay prepares to close, President Barack Obama will have to deal with a new problem with suspected terrorist detainees, this time at Bagram in Afghanistan. More than 600 detainees are held at the US Bagram Theatre Internment Facility - known by campaigners as "the other Guantanamo"...
Has the statue of justice fallen down?
Posted on January 24, 2009Has the statue of justice fallen down?There was me thinking that a 8 year sentence was too severe for Karen Matthews only to read this morning that the Family of Shannon Matthews condemn her mother's 'lenient' sentence. It is difficult trying to mentally balance the scales of justice when the following tragic case also hits the news on the same day and same news bulletin A father who killed four of his seven young children when he crashed a Land Rover he part-built has been jailed for two years...
Watch this space
Posted on January 23, 2009Watch this spaceI had just rolled out of bed at 9.30 this morning and was sat on the edge smoking a roll up when Victors called me on my mobile. He said that he was in the city centre and that he would be calling into see me in about 20 minutes. He gave me my belated Christmas present that he had bought in Argos, a gold Sekonda watch...
Fraud
Posted on January 23, 2009FraudMy staff wrote 'Barack Obama tribute', junior minister Dawn Butler admitsDawn Butler, a Labour MP and Government whip, has admitted that her staff wrote a tribute to her supposedly written by Barack Obama.Like with Speaker Martin in Greengate, it's always somebody else to blame never the MP themselves...
British Gas in 10% gas price cut
Posted on January 22, 2009British Gas in 10% gas price cutBritish Gas has announced it will reduce its standard tariff gas prices by 10% from 19 February.It said the move would benefit more than 7.5 million homes and cut £84 from the average annual gas bill.British Gas said it was the first UK major energy supplier to announce such a cut since 2007...
Police constable 'smacked' child
Posted on January 22, 2009Police constable 'smacked' childA policeman described in court as having a Dickensian attitude has been given a suspended jail sentence after he hit a primary school-age child.I am somewhat puzzled why the BBC is reporting 'smacked' in quotation marks when the copper has admitted the offence and it is no longer just an allegation and therefore can be reported without the need to protect against a writ for libel?
Dutch MP to be tried for views on Islam
Posted on January 22, 2009Dutch MP to be tried for views on IslamParty leader who made film linking Koran to Nazism accused of inciting race hateThe Far-right Dutch politician who gained global notoriety with a film claiming links between the Koran and terrorism is to be put on trial for his public statements against Islam...
Third degree
Posted on January 21, 2009Third degreeI'm just having the condemned man's last cigarette before embarking on the 40-60 minute walk to the police station to be interviewed in relation to the alleged racist material on my blog.
Inaugural address of President Barack Obama
Posted on January 21, 2009Inaugural address of President Barack ObamaMy fellow citizens:I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition...
Evil witch whips Labour MPs into line at the trough
Posted on January 21, 2009Evil witch whips Labour MPs into line at the troughLabour MPs 'will be forced to vote in favour of withholding details of expenses'No accountability? I want to hold all MPs to account for dipping into the public purse. I do not trust MPs to be honest because their previous track record has shown that they cannot be trusted not to steal taxpayers money...
Thanks for the U Turn now sack Harman
Posted on January 21, 2009Thanks for the U Turn now sack HarmanGovernment ends opposition to publishing MPs' expenses More than a million receipts and expense claims submitted by MPs in the last three years will have to be published after the Government ditched plans to block the move at the 11th hour...
Tomato to the cause
Posted on January 21, 2009Tomato to the causeFollowing on from this, it did take me exactly an hour to walk to Priory Road police station getting there at 2.05pm. Detective Constable Gooder greeted me in reception and was pleased that I was punctual. He said that my solicitor had phoned to say he would be there in a few minutes...
Jail attraction in administration
Posted on January 20, 2009Jail attraction in administration One of Cornwall's tourist attractions, historic Bodmin Jail, has gone into administration."The jail was built in 1779 and carried out public hangings until 1862 and hangings inside until 1909. Since it closed in 1927 it has become one of Cornwall's tourist attractions, with 43,000 visitors a year"...
Good morning penal estate
Posted on January 20, 2009Good morning penal estatePrison radio to cost taxpayers £2millionThe government is planning a radio station exclusively for the entertainment of Britain's prisoners, which will cost taxpayers £2million, according to reports.Listen with Big Brother. Are you all sitting comfortably?
From slave to President
Posted on January 20, 2009From slave to PresidentBefore...After...Obama to be sworn in as 44th US President today
MoD launches investigation after racist Facebook comments
Posted on January 19, 2009MoD launches investigation after racist Facebook commentsAn inquiry into racism in the Armed Forces has been launched by the Ministry of Defence after a number of extreme comments were discovered on Facebook from people claiming to be service personnel...
Labour councillor defends glamour hobby
Posted on January 19, 2009Labour councillor defends glamour hobbyA LABOUR city councillor says he has nothing to hide over his side-line as a glamour photographer.Councillor Sean Chaytor, who represents the Marfleet ward in east Hull, is the secretary of the opposition Labour group on Hull City Council...
BorisKKK
Posted on January 19, 2009BorisKKKHat-Tip to Iain Dale's Diary for the inspiration.Apart from KKKitchener I knew I had seen something similar elsewhere...Photoshop credit: RonKKKneeIdea: Jailhouselawyer:)
Policeman gets surprise in woods as bear kills him
Posted on January 19, 2009Policeman gets surprise in woods as bear kills himA policeman has died after being mauled by a bear in Romania, an official said today.Tiberiu Postoaca, head of the ambulance service in Transylvanian Covasna county, said the 30-year-old officer died after suffering a heart attack while being taken to hospital...
Bail hostel project sparks secrecy row
Posted on January 18, 2009Bail hostel project sparks secrecy rowA secrecy row has broken out over the refusal by ministers to reveal the addresses of 175 bail hostels which have opened in residential neighbourhoods.Suspects on bail and prisoners freed early from jail are housed in the properties ? usually rented houses ? run by the private company ClearSprings, which is not required to consult with the local council or neighbours before opening a new hostel...
Terrorists face open-ended jail terms
Posted on January 18, 2009Terrorists face open-ended jail termsConvicted terrorists will be jailed indefinitely under controversial plans drawn up by ministers.The proposals will see open-ended prison sentences, in use since 2005 for violent and sexual offenders, made available for a wide range of terror-related offences...
Burglars kill pensioner's budgie
Posted on January 18, 2009Burglars kill pensioner's budgieBurglars have snapped the neck of an elderly woman's budgie in front of her after she refused to hand over money.I have had budgies whilst in prison, and they can be more than just a pretty, colourful bird. They can be a great companion...
Boy George joins the Chain Gang
Posted on January 17, 2009Boy George joins the Chain GangBoy George has been jailed for 15 months for handcuffing a male escort to a wall and beating him with a metal chain.
The road to frigging peer
Posted on January 17, 2009The road to frigging peerAs a child I liked to sit on the old packhorse bridge opposite the White Swan in South Milford. I could see fish swim by in the shallow water as they passed beneath me. When the races were on in Tadcaster or York, I would watch all the snobs go past in their Rolls Royce's, Bentley's and Jaguars and the middle classes in their Rovers...
The case of the cheeky neighbours and wasting police time
Posted on January 17, 2009The case of the cheeky neighbours and wasting police timeThis afternoon, when I took Rocky for his afternoon walk, I popped in to see my friends who live on Salisbury Street. After recounting my tale about the Plod, I was treated to this little snippet of madness...
Crook
Posted on January 16, 2009CrookA good day to bury bad news on MPs' expensesWhile attention was focused on Heathrow, ministers acted to protect members from scrutiny of their claims
Escaped prisoner captured
Posted on January 16, 2009Escaped prisoner capturedA man accused of racially motivated assaults who escaped after armed men held up a prison van in which he was being taken to court, was recaptured on Friday after four days on the run.Wayne Connor was arrested in a hotel room in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, shortly after midnight, London police said...
Rumpole of the Bailey loses his first case
Posted on January 16, 2009Rumpole of the Bailey loses his first caseSir John Mortimer, the barrister who became one of Britain's most famous authors and created the much-loved Horace Rumpole, has died at the age of 85.
Boxing inmates fight to win their freedom from Thai prisons
Posted on January 16, 2009Boxing inmates fight to win their freedom from Thai prisonsThailand's prison bosses believe they may have a future Olympic gold medallist in their midst and are giving talented boxers from jails all over the country the chance to fight for their freedomPicture: REUTERSTwo former prisoners have fought their way out of jail to earn a comfortable living from boxing and win medals on the global stagePicture: REUTERSOthers are determined to follow their lead by earning a place on the national team, allowing them to go out and compete in regional events and be rewarded with early release on parole if they do wellPicture: REUTERSThonburi's pugilists are offered privileged treatment and are allowed to train while other inmates toil all day in kitchens, on-site garment factories and laundry roomsPicture: REUTERSThey rise daily at 5...
Plod
Posted on January 16, 2009PlodI have just received a phone call from the local CID in relation to a complaint they have received that my blog has racist content and I am to be interviewed under caution.
Words v censorship: and freedom to blog
Posted on January 16, 2009Words v censorship: and freedom to blogWhen the Nazis came for the communists,I remained silent;I was not a communist.When they locked up the social democrats,I remained silent;I was not a social democrat.When they came for the trade unionists,I did not speak out;I was not a trade unionist...
Torturing the truth and David Miliband's apology too little too late
Posted on January 15, 2009Torturing the truth and David Miliband's apology too little too lateFor years the Bush administration said it was not true, that those who claimed that torture was taking place at Guantánamo Bay, were in fact suckers for al-Qaida propaganda.Were not the terrorists trained at camps in Afghanistan to claim ill treatment once captured? And could you really believe what a load of Muslims and human rights lawyers were saying, over officials from the US government and military? Men in uniforms and men standing on White House and Pentagon podiums, time after time said categorically that the US does not use torture...
Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison: making of a masterpiece
Posted on January 15, 2009Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison: making of a masterpieceThe album 'Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison' has sold three million copies and counting, but its recording in 1968 happened against the odds. During his 71 years, Johnny Cash made many comebacks. The biggest, however, was undoubtedly the 1968 live album 'Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison...
The Prisoner creator Patrick McGoohan dies
Posted on January 15, 2009The Prisoner creator Patrick McGoohan diesOne of the leading stars of British television of the 1950s and 1960s, he is best known for played The Prisoner's title character Number Six in the surreal 1960s show filmed in Portmeirion in Wales.
Hull City Councillor involved in soft porn scandal?
Posted on January 14, 2009Hull City Councillor involved in soft porn scandal?Labour councillor Sean ChaytorHas a Labour councillor from Hull City Council been hiding from his electorate that he's has a sideline business in topless glamour photography and carries it out using an assumed identity online?
What a norom...
Posted on January 14, 2009What a norom...MP brands dyslexia as a 'fiction'A Labour MP has claimed dyslexia is a myth invented by education chiefs to cover up poor teaching methods.Graham Stringer writes: "Anybody who has any doubt about the impact of illiteracy on society should go to prison...
Labour paid sex offender for work
Posted on January 14, 2009Labour paid sex offender for workThe Labour Party paid a sex offender convicted in the United States more than £2,500 to help it with its 2005 election campaign, the BBC has learned.Activist Tim Russo, 41, was a visits co-ordinator in the East Midlands but did not have a UK work visa...
Pity it wasn't a rope around his neck...
Posted on January 14, 2009Pity it wasn't a rope around his neck...
Israel may face UN court ruling on legality of Gaza conflict
Posted on January 14, 2009Israel may face UN court ruling on legality of Gaza conflictIsrael faces the prospect of intervention by international courts amid growing calls that its actions in Gaza are a violation of world humanitarian and criminal law.The UN general assembly, which is meeting this week to discuss the issue, will consider requesting an advisory opinion from the international court of justice, the Guardian has learned...
Gerry McCann returns to the scene of the crime
Posted on January 14, 2009Gerry McCann returns to the scene of the crime"Mr McCann, 40, from Rothley, Leicestershire, flew into Faro Airport in the Algarve and was met by British officials".The McCann family spokesman, Clarence Mitchell, said "I can confirm that Gerry McCann returned to Portugal for a brief visit to meet his lawyers to see what more can be done to help find his daughter"...
Is Hull City Council to privatise the sports and leisure?
Posted on January 14, 2009Is Hull City Council to privatise the sports and leisure?A little birdie whispered into my ear today that if I wanted a real story I should check out the LibDem controlled council's secret plans to privatise all the sport and leisure facilities. Apparently, this goes against election promises...
Hull declares civil war on uncrowned King Gordon Brown
Posted on January 14, 2009Hull declares civil war on uncrowned King Gordon BrownDuring the English Civil War, Hull became strategically important because of the large arsenal located there. Very early in the war, on 11 January 1642, the king named the Earl of Newcastle as governor of Hull while Parliament nominated Sir John Hotham and asked his son, Capt...
Paedophile judge gives paedophile primary school head teacher a lenient sentence
Posted on January 13, 2009Paedophile judge gives paedophile primary school head teacher a lenient sentenceI would have said that a head teacher at a primary school who was convicted of having 457 indecent images of children on his computer, is a worse case than actor Chris Lanham...
Autism: equality's last frontier
Posted on January 13, 2009Autism: equality's last frontierFor Gary McKinnon, Asperger's has had a profound effect on his ability to fit in to society. When will we accept this disability?Rather than let him rot in jail or send him to the USA, why not use this example from New Zealand to resolve the issue?
New admission over legal advice on Iraq invasion
Posted on January 13, 2009New admission over legal advice on Iraq invasionGovernment fails to provide proof that the former attorney general was not pressured to change his initial opinion that 2003 invasion could be illegalLet's face it, Bush said "sit" and Blair sat like an obedient poodle.
Blaze of criminality
Posted on January 13, 2009Blaze of criminalityA bemused offender sees the funny side of the new much-maligned fluorescent jacket to be worn by people on community service
Spring chicken looking for old cock
Posted on January 13, 2009Spring chicken looking for old cockA 107-year-old Chinese woman who was afraid to marry when she was young has decided to look for her first husband.I'm afraid she has left it a bit late if she suddenly decides to look for a second and third husband in the style of Elizabeth Taylor...
Zac Goldsmith donates £20k in attempt to block Heathrow 3rd runway
Posted on January 13, 2009Zac Goldsmith donates £20k in attempt to block Heathrow 3rd runwayCampaigners opposed to a third runway at Heathrow have bought a parcel of the land earmarked for the airport?s expansion and are preparing for a fierce legal battle to defend it.Related content...
Voice from the grave: Sri Lankan journalist's final editorial
Posted on January 13, 2009Voice from the grave: Sri Lankan journalist's final editorial'I hope my murder will be seen not as a defeat of freedom but an inspiration'This extraordinary article by the editor of the Sri Lankan Sunday Leader was published three days after he was shot dead in Colombo
Baa baa black sheep have you got an ASBO?
Posted on January 13, 2009Baa baa black sheep have you got an ASBO?Shepherd allowed sheep to intimidate neighbours A shepherd who allowed his wayward sheep to intimidate his neighbours has admitted breaching an Asbo which banned the flock from the village.I was brought up in the country for much of my early childhood and liked the quaint old ways of living...
Drunk as a judge
Posted on January 13, 2009Drunk as a judgeDrunk judge suspended for kissing lawyer and swearing in courtA drunk judge had to be escorted from court after kissing a solicitor, swearing at an usher and insulting a prosecutor while "fortified" with brandy, a disciplinary tribunal has heard...
Toy craft flown into jail grounds
Posted on January 12, 2009Toy craft flown into jail groundsA remote control helicopter may have been used to smuggle items into a prison, it has been revealed.Guards using CCTV cameras at HMP Elmley in Sheerness, Kent, spotted the craft carrying a package towards an accommodation block on 23 December...
Will Guantánamo Bay ever close?
Posted on January 12, 2009Will Guantánamo Bay ever close?Seven years on, and without being charged and with no real sign of closure, many of the prison's inmates are on hunger strike
Prisoner flees after armed van hold-up
Posted on January 12, 2009Prisoner flees after armed van hold-upA prisoner escaped from custody today after an armed man held up a prison van, Scotland Yard said.The van was stopped near Bedfont Lake, Feltham, west London, at around 7.45am this morning and the driver assaulted...
If we screen out autism we run the risk of losing genius
Posted on January 12, 2009If we screen out autism we run the risk of losing geniusSo if we found a test for autism, and gave parents the opportunity of aborting the foetus, we might eliminate not just an unwanted and difficult child but a potential genius.Related content...New research brings autism screening closer to realityCall for ethics debate as tests in womb could allow termination of pregnanciesRelated content...
Beautiful scenery shame the figures don't add up
Posted on January 12, 2009Beautiful scenery shame the figures don't add upRecession hit unemployed offered £1k an hour 'Australian desert island caretaker' job"It equates to £972 per hour based on a 'flexi-time' schedule of a 12-hour working month".A 3 hour working week? Nice work if you can get it...
LabourList launch sunk by Schillings
Posted on January 12, 2009LabourList launch sunk by Schillings"Legal policyWe remove comments in line with our moderation and comments policy but anyone who wants to report anything they deem to be offensive or a potential libel or copyright infringement should contact us immediately and the relevant comment or post will be reviewed for removal...
Catholic Orangemen of Togo
Posted on January 12, 2009Catholic Orangemen of TogoCatholic Orangemen of Togo Publish at Scribd or explore others: African Politics schillings tim spicer
The Met shows its support for Hamas
Posted on January 11, 2009The Met shows its support for HamasIt tickled my sense of humour...Photo: Hat-Tip to Obsolete
Animal pictures of the week: a special cold weather edition
Posted on January 11, 2009Animal pictures of the week: a special cold weather editionBerlin zoo's world famous polar bear, Knut, seemed delighted by the cold snap, rolling in the snow...Picture: AFP/GETTY...sticking his tongue out to catch snowflakes... Picture: AFP/GETTY...and just generally having a ball, Picture: AFP/GETTYGermany's other celebrity polar bear, Flocke, frolicked with a male companion in the snow in Nuremberg, Picture: APElsewhere in Germany, this tiger seemed to enjoy rolling in the snow at the zoo in Halle...
Tory dressed up as Madeleine McCann
Posted on January 10, 2009Tory dressed up as Madeleine McCannMatt Lewis, a member of Conservative Future, boasted that his "bad taste party outfit" included a blonde wig, pink pyjamas, a teddy bear and a vial of fake blood.Other figures from the same organisation joined in the tasteless joke about the missing girl in exchanges on a social networking website...
7 children under 12 murdered by Israel and still Iain Dale supports this
Posted on January 10, 20097 children under 12 murdered by Israel and still Iain Dale supports thisA Palestinian doctor, based in Lincoln, has said he feels helpless after 16 members of his family died in an Israeli air attack on Gaza.Seven of those Palestinian family members killed by the Israelis were children under the age of 12 years...
Report critical of prison staff
Posted on January 09, 2009Report critical of prison staffA report into the suicide of a prisoner at Maghaberry jail has recommended disciplinary procedures against the governor and deputy governor.
Email law 'attacks civil liberties'
Posted on January 09, 2009Email law 'attacks civil liberties'Looming rules that will force internet companies to keep details of every email sent in the UK are an attack on privacy and a waste of money, it was warned today.From March, all internet service providers (ISP) will have to keep data about emails sent and received in the UK for a year...
Israel's war crimes as bad as the Nazis
Posted on January 09, 2009Israel's war crimes as bad as the NazisIsrael bombed Gaza 'safe' house full off evacuees, says UN I don't believe that there is any difference between the Israelis herding Palestinian refugees into a so-called safe house and then bombing the hell out of them, and the Nazis herding Jews into a so-called shower and then gassing them.
Police recapture escaped prisoner
Posted on January 08, 2009Police recapture escaped prisonerAn armed robber who spent three weeks on the run after escaping from a secure unit has been recaptured.Ashley Waterman, 20, was arrested by armed police officers at an address in west London in the early hours.Waterman, who was serving a five-year term for robbing a branch of McDonald's in Camden, north London, escaped during a visit to a mental health centre...
Prison sentence for benefit cheat
Posted on January 08, 2009Prison sentence for benefit cheatA benefit cheat from Cornwall has been jailed for 18 months.Michael McQueen from Penwarne Farm, Mawnan Smith, swindled more than £51,000 from the Department of Work and Pensions(DWP), Truro Crown Court heard.McQueen was receiving disability living allowance, incapacity benefit, income support, housing benefit and council tax relief while working full time...
Prison football team gets ex-Juventus manager
Posted on January 08, 2009Prison football team gets ex-Juventus managerFormer Juventus football club general manager Luciano Moggi has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after being found guilty of corruption.
How can Iain Dale support this?
Posted on January 07, 2009How can Iain Dale support this?Given this?
Massacre of innocents as UN school is shelled
Posted on January 07, 2009Massacre of innocents as UN school is shelledHundreds of Palestinians had fled their homes for the refuge of the al-Fakhoura school, hoping the blue and white flag of the UN flying over the impromptu shelter would protect them from the Israeli onslaught...
Suicide inmate's mother warned prison
Posted on January 07, 2009Suicide inmate's mother warned prisonInquest hears staff were 'repeatedly' told of prisoner's deteriorating mental stateThe mother of a prisoner who was found hanged in the segregation cell of a troubled privately run prison after being placed on suicide watch told an inquest yesterday how she repeatedly warned officers of her son's deteriorating mental state...
Israeli court condemns Israel's deliberately killing Palestinian civilians
Posted on January 07, 2009Israeli court condemns Israel's deliberately killing Palestinian civiliansWhen The Israeli supreme court today upheld the government's blockade of fuel and electricity supplies to the Gaza Strip, it also ruled that "Israel still had an obligation under international law to avoid "deliberately" harming Palestinian civilians"...
War criminal to award a war criminal with a medal of freedom
Posted on January 06, 2009War criminal to award a war criminal with a medal of freedomBlair to get US Medal of FreedomFormer UK Prime Minister Tony Blair will receive the highest civilian award in the US - the Presidential Medal of Freedom - next week.War criminal to award a war criminal with a medal of freedom? Does this mean that Tony Blair will get out of jail free if he is ever put on trial at the Hague and convicted?Story here.
Love they neighbour...
Posted on January 06, 2009Love they neighbour...Vicar arrested over hedge disputeA County Durham vicar has been arrested after a dispute with his neighbour over the height of a hedge, it has emerged.The row broke out between the Reverend Stuart Bennett and Brian Stokoe after complaints about the 20ft (6m) hedges at the vicarage in Castleside, Consett...
Former heroin addict spared jail
Posted on January 06, 2009Former heroin addict spared jailA judge has admitted taking a "significant risk" by allowing a man who carried out nearly 150 thefts and burglaries to stay out of prison.Former drug addict Dean Weaver walked free from court after Judge Martin Picton said his "substantial progress" meant he could rehabilitate in freedom...
Israel breaches Geneva Convention with attack upon school
Posted on January 06, 2009Israel breaches Geneva Convention with attack upon schoolLink.The UN had given Israel GPS coordinates of their humanitarian centres, and the school attack has to be a war crime. Israel is censoring its news as is the BBC, and the US is pro the terrorist state of Israel...
Rhys murderer attacked in prison
Posted on January 05, 2009Rhys murderer attacked in prisonThe teenager who murdered schoolboy Rhys Jones has been attacked in jail, the Prison Service has confirmed.Sean Mercer, 18, was assaulted at HMP Moorland in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, but the incident was stopped by the "timely intervention" of staff...
Snowy owl seen in England
Posted on January 05, 2009Snowy owl seen in EnglandThe bird, which is a native of the Arctic Circle, and is usually found in Greenland, Canada and Russia, has been seen at Zennor, near St Ives.
Why is Labour so keen to imprison us?
Posted on January 05, 2009Why is Labour so keen to imprison us?A quite extraordinary statistic has been dug out of the deepest quarries of Whitehall by a diligent government official following an inquiry about the number of laws introduced by Labour since taking office in 1997...
N Power is a gasmeter bandit
Posted on January 04, 2009N Power is a gasmeter banditOn Christmas Eve I put £20 on my gas card to feed my gas guzzling meter and was angered to see that 25% of the £20, ie, £5 was deducted by N Power and I was left with only £15 worth of gas for my 20 quid.Yesterday, I put another £20 on my gas card and this time N Power stole £5...
Israel's massacre of Hamas is part of the Final Solution
Posted on January 04, 2009Israel's massacre of Hamas is part of the Final SolutionWhy Israel went to war in Gaza'Are you a target if you voted for Hamas?' Last night Israel sent its ground forces across the border into Gaza as it escalated its brutal assault on Hamas. As a large-scale invasion of the Palestinian territory appears to be getting under way, Chris McGreal reports from Jerusalem on Israel's hidden strategy to persuade the world of the justice of its cause in its battle with a bitter ideological foeIt is past time that America stopped supporting the Terrorist state of Israel...
No General Election in 2009
Posted on January 04, 2009No General Election in 2009Having watched the BBC yesterday build up that Gordon Brown was to be interviewed by Andrew Marr today, I was disappointed by the lack of fireworks and save for poking the Tories in the eye over their early election predictions it turned out to be a damp squib...
Tory Party funded by proceeds of crime
Posted on January 03, 2009Tory Party funded by proceeds of crimePolice get £60,000 criminal cashNearly £60,000 seized from criminals will fight crime in Devon and Cornwall.The money allocated for Devon and Cornwall Police is part of £5.4m for forces across England and Wales.The money was recovered between July and September 2008 and compares with just over £3...
We owe these men a reprieve from hell
Posted on January 03, 2009We owe these men a reprieve from hellI believe that the Guantánamo detainees we have investigated represent no danger to BritainClive Stafford Smith For some years now, the British Government has professed the wrongness of Guantánamo Bay. Tony Blair called it an ?anomaly?; others were more forthright...
Canberra rejects Guantanamo cases
Posted on January 03, 2009Canberra rejects Guantanamo casesAustralia has formally rejected a US request to take in detainees from the Guantanamo Bay military jail.Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the decision was based on "stringent national security and immigration considerations...
Muslim family thrown off US jet for 'remarks'
Posted on January 03, 2009Muslim family thrown off US jet for 'remarks'Nine Muslims, eight of them US-born citizens, were ordered off a US flight on New Year's Day after two girls overheard what airline officials described as suspicious remarks.The group, including three children, were removed as they boarded an AirTran flight from Washington to Florida, where they planned to attend a religious retreat...
A short film directed by Jailhouselawyer
Posted on January 02, 2009A short film directed by JailhouselawyerI went from minus 5 degrees Celsius outside to the Tropical heat inside the Victorian Conservatory. Note the lens steam up and the remote lens cleaner. Rocky can be heard barking outside. Trying out my new memory camcorder...
Lord Goldsmith: Britain should accept Guantanamo prisoners
Posted on January 02, 2009Lord Goldsmith: Britain should accept Guantanamo prisonersBritain should be prepared to accept prisoners from Guantanamo Bay if it would help the Americans close the camp, Lord Goldsmith has said. "Tony Blair's former attorney general said that the continued existence of the camp, established by the administration of President George Bush following the 9/11 attacks, was damaging the West...
Simply beautiful a snow leopard
Posted on January 02, 2009Simply beautiful a snow leopardShelby, a three-year old female snow leopard reclines in the freshly snow covered greenery at the Bronx Zoo's Himalayan Highlands exhibit, in New YorkPicture: AP
Race Relations
Posted on January 02, 2009Race RelationsBy: Ben Gunn - HMP Shepton MalletLifer Ben Gunn has learnt from race relations work that it?s very difficult to appreciate what it?s like to be other than who you are.How could it come about that efforts intended to reduce the weight of imprisonment on some groups can have the effect of causing disillusionment amongst others? Is this merely another sign that the Prison Service couldn?t get their leg over in a brothel? I have had a varied interest in race relations...
Past their shelf life
Posted on January 02, 2009Past their shelf lifeBy: Charles Hanson - HMP Blantyre HouseLifer Charles Hanson questions why the Prison Service has no coherent national policy or strategy for dealing with elderly prisoners.In its obsessive and compulsive drive to promote notions of diversity, embracing and so-called ?celebrating? different needs and inclusion which, in its usual knee-jerk responses to specific minority interests always seems to place race, religion and sexual orientation above all else, the Prison Service has continually failed to recognise any other special needs group, and by far the most neglected has been the aged and disabled prisoner population...
Offenders face public vote on punishments
Posted on January 02, 2009Offenders face public vote on punishmentsMinisters revive Respect agenda with plans to extend community justiceThe public may be able to vote for what form of punishment is handed out to convicted criminals in their neighbourhood under plans being drawn up by ministers...
Dinosaurs not extinct in the UK
Posted on January 01, 2009Dinosaurs not extinct in the UKDinosaur fossils found in China are world's largest collectionScientists in China say they have found the richest collection of dinosaur fossils in the world in the north eastern province of Shandong.If dinosaurs are extinct how come Brian Caton, General Secretary of the Prison Officer's Association, pictured below, is alive and well in the UK? In relation to the story below he had this to say: "As far as I am concerned they are convicts, they are prisoners, they are inmates...
Prison suicide rate cut in 2008
Posted on January 01, 2009Prison suicide rate cut in 2008The number of prison inmates who killed themselves in England and Wales fell to 61 in 2008, according to the Ministry of Justice.
Britain ready to take in Guantánamo prisoners
Posted on January 01, 2009Britain ready to take in Guantánamo prisonersDeal will help Obama to close down terror jailBritain is preparing to receive foreign terror suspects from Guantánamo Bay so that Barack Obama can shut it down, The Times has learnt.Government sources say that Britain now supports moves to rehouse the detainees, despite previous refusals to help President Bush...
The setting of a dangerous precedent
Posted on January 01, 2009The setting of a dangerous precedentLast year, albeit yesterday, I reported that the European Court of Human Rights had issued an injunction preventing the UK from handing two Iraqi prisoners over to the Iraqi authorities.This year, today, the Telegraph is reporting that the Defence Secretary, John Hutton, has defied the Court ruling and handed over the prisoners to the Iraqi authorities and thereby has breached their human rights...
Warning from America: Reject the big idea in 2009
Posted on January 01, 2009Warning from America: Reject the big idea in 2009Building American-style Titan prisons to warehouse thousands of prisoners could seriously undermine the ability of the justice system to cut crime by reforming offenders and instead set England and Wales on the fast-track to copying the damaging and discredited US prison system, a leading US civil rights lawyer warned when he addressed the Prison Reform Trust 2008 Annual lecture...
Outbound email service for prisoners
Posted on January 01, 2009Outbound email service for prisonersGreat news for EMAP and for prisoners!By: Inside Time ReportAfter successfully introducing the email system into over fifty UK prisons, a contractual agreement with NOMS has now been formalised. Two trials are planned to commence in January with an enhanced version of the EMAP service that will allow outbound emails (prisoners to families) and the ability to send attachments with emails inbound and outbound...
Glen Erin Pipe Band Auld Lang Syne/Amazing Grace
Posted on December 31, 2008Glen Erin Pipe Band Auld Lang Syne/Amazing GraceThat's your lot for 2008. No more posts until next year. I wish you all A Happy New Year.
Can links kill?
Posted on December 31, 2008Can links kill?Linking to online content is the essence of the web. But for newspapers, when does it cross the line to stealing content?The future of online journalism may depend on the outcome of a legal battle between two financially ailing media giants...
European Court blocks UK handover of Iraqi detainees
Posted on December 31, 2008European Court blocks UK handover of Iraqi detaineesBy Geoff Meade in BrusselsWednesday, 31 December 2008The European Court of Human Rights blocked the handover to the Iraqi authorities of the last two remaining prisoners held by British forces in Basra yesterday? just hours after the Court of Appeal in London ruled that they could be transferred...
The Gambian President is a madman
Posted on December 31, 2008The Gambian President is a madmanA missionary couple from Britain have been sentenced to a year?s hard labour in an African prison for calling the Gambian President a madman.
Prisoner sues after pet parrot dies
Posted on December 31, 2008Prisoner sues after pet parrot diesA dead parrot named Freddy is the focus of a US lawsuit after his ex-con owner claimed prison guards denied him a phone call that would have saved the bird's life. Thomas Goodrich is seeking a total of $500,000 (£347,000) in punitive damages from the Delaware Department of Correction Commissioner and a warden at the correctional institution where he was held for 12 days over an outstanding arrest warrant and an expired driving licence...
Jailhouselawyer shows off his new toy
Posted on December 30, 2008Jailhouselawyer shows off his new toyIn my view, the video quality is very good. I agree with the reviewer below that the one touch YouTube upload is a load of bollocks. Even if it was as simple as JVC claim, a big downside is that this short 3 minutes and 10 seconds film took a whopping 90 minutes to upload to YouTube! The facility provided on the software by PowerCinema for the one touch upload to YouTube does not work...
Israel guilty of war crimes after declaring war on 5 innocent sisters
Posted on December 30, 2008Israel guilty of war crimes after declaring war on 5 innocent sistersFive sisters killed while they sleptIsrael's target was the mosque next door. But the rocket attack claimed the lives of innocent children
Battle of the Titans
Posted on December 28, 2008Battle of the TitansIn the face of opposition from experts the British government may be reconsidering its plan to build three large new prisonsJacqui Smith's recent announcement that proposals for direct elections to police authorities have been dropped is a rare example of consultation really making a difference...
Pine martens return to England and Wales
Posted on December 28, 2008Pine martens return to England and WalesPine martens have returned to England and Wales nearly 15 years after they were officially declared extinct in those countries. Back in 2005 I was up on the North Yorkshire Moors, Close to the Cleveland Way, and I thought it was a young pine marten chasing a baby rabbit...
White deer roam the forest
Posted on December 26, 2008White deer roam the forestThese white fallow bucks make the perfect seasonal picture
A very merry Christmas to all my readers
Posted on December 24, 2008A very merry Christmas to all my readersI will leave you with this until after the holidays.
Why is Lord Ahmed not being prosecuted to the full extent of the law?
Posted on December 23, 2008Why is Lord Ahmed not being prosecuted to the full extent of the law?br /br /a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.dailyexpress.co.uk/img/dynamic/1/285x214/76875_1.jpg"img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 285px; height: 214px;" src="http://images...
Merry Christmas Otis Ferry, ho, ho, ho
Posted on December 23, 2008Merry Christmas Otis Ferry, ho, ho, hobr /br /a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44862000/jpg/_44862273_ferry226.jpg"img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 226px; height: 170px;" src="http://newsimg...
Guantánamo: Robert Gates accused of perjury over torture
Posted on December 23, 2008Guantánamo: Robert Gates accused of perjury over torturebr /br /a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/23/robert-gates-guantanamo-torture-affidavit"Lawyers for a British resident held at Guantánamo Bay have accused Robert Gates, the US defence secretary, of signing a "flagrantly false" affidavit to avoid having to disclose evidence of torture/a...
Lunching with the ghosts of Devil's Island
Posted on December 23, 2008Lunching with the ghosts of Devil's Island br /br /a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://timescorrespondents.typepad.com/charles_bremner/images/2008/12/22/devilsisland_2.jpg"img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 385px; height: 288px;" src="http://timescorrespondents...
A nut climed into Knut's enclosure to keep the polar bear company
Posted on December 23, 2008A nut climed into Knut's enclosure Ato keep the polar bear companybr /br /a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01210/knut-polar-bear_1210907c.jpg"img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 460px; height: 288px;" src="http://www...
Christmas survival guide: Pets
Posted on December 23, 2008Christmas survival guide: Petsbr /br /a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01210/pxmas2_1210767c.jpg"img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 460px; height: 288px;" src="http://www...
Fan's fate is agonising dilemma for Straw
Posted on December 22, 2008Fan's fate is agonising dilemma for Strawbr /br /a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/dec/22/michael-shields-marcel-berlins"I do not know whether or not Michael Shields was guilty of the crime for which he was convicted by a Bulgarian court in 2005...
Zimbabwe's inflation means jail wardens steal from prisoners to stay alive
Posted on December 22, 2008Zimbabwe's inflation means jail wardens steal from prisoners to stay alivebr /br /a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article5380607.ece"Another passenger was a warden at Bulawayo's infamous Khami prison. The previous month he had earned 200 million Zimbabwean dollars - less than US$1 at today's rate...
Hen harriers in danger of becoming extinct
Posted on December 22, 2008Hen harriers in danger of becoming extinctbr /br /a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01210/henharrier_1210078c.jpg"img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 460px; height: 288px;" src="http://www...
Girl 8 refused a divorce
Posted on December 22, 2008a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/saudiarabia/3884696/Saudi-court-rejects-plea-to-annul-8-year-old-girls-marriage-to-58-year-old-man.html"Girl 8 refused a divorce/abr /br /There is something quite shocking about a 8 year old girl being married off by her father, without her knowledge, to pay off a debt...
Exclusive: Jacqui Smith commits bigamy
Posted on December 21, 2008Exclusive: Jacqui Smith commits bigamybr /br /a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/12/20/article-0-02DD5AE4000005DC-467_233x423.jpg"img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 233px; height: 423px;" src="http://i...
Christmas
Posted on December 21, 2008Christmasbr /br /a title="View Christmas 1 document on Scribd" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/9264958/Christmas-1" style="margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;"Christmas 1/a object codebase="http://download...
Thousands of criminals spared prison go on to offend again
Posted on December 21, 2008Thousands of criminals spared prison go on to offend againbr /br /More than 21,000 offenders serving non-custodial sentences committed further crimes last year, casting doubt over Labour's pledge to make the punishments a tough alternative to jail. br /br /a href="http://www...
Mother flees abroad with her son to escape social workers
Posted on December 21, 2008Mother flees abroad with her son to escape social workersbr /br /Social workers have been accused of trying to seize a six-year-old boy from his mother despite having no evidence that she has ever harmed him.br /br /a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/3868100/Mother-flees-abroad-with-her-son-to-escape-social-workers...
More than 300 lifers out within ten years
Posted on December 20, 2008More than 300 lifers out within ten yearsbr /br /More than 300 murderers, rapists and other serious offenders handed life sentences under Labour are already back on the streets.br /br /a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/3850971/More-than-300-lifers-out-within-ten-years...
One law for the common people and one law for a peer of the realm
Posted on December 20, 2008One law for the common people and one law for a peer of the realmbr /br /a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45314000/jpg/_45314409_f76e7ecc-13db-4809-b4c6-0fa1835980f9.jpg"img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 226px; height: 170px;" src="http://newsimg...
Pentagon draws up plans for Guantanamo closure
Posted on December 19, 2008a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01201/prayer-barbed-wire_1201694c.jpg"img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 460px; height: 296px;" src="http://www...
Pc jailed over blackmail attempts
Posted on December 19, 2008a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45309000/jpg/_45309969_c126-07johal.jpg"img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 226px; height: 170px;" src="http://newsimg...
Tory peer accused of going berserk in road rage attack
Posted on December 19, 2008a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00451/kirkham_1_451513a.jpg"img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 185px; height: 360px;" src="http://www...
Prisoners to record bedtime stories for children
Posted on December 19, 2008Prisoners to record bedtime stories for childrenbr /br /Prisoners will soon be able to video themselves reading bedtime stories to send home to their children. br /br /a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/scotland/3833723/Prisoners-to-record-bedtime-stories-for-children...
Sex offenders win rights ruling
Posted on December 19, 2008Sex offenders win rights rulingbr /br /a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45124000/jpg/_45124544_scales_pa226b.jpg"img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 226px; height: 170px;" src="http://newsimg...
TV licence fee costs more than fine for evading payment
Posted on December 18, 2008TV licence fee costs more than fine for evading paymentbr /br /Law-abiding viewers are being charged more for their annual television licence than the average fine issued in the magistrates' courts to those who evade payment.br /br /a href="http://www...
Hong Kong ruling on prisoner voting rights is part of the modern liberal trend
Posted on December 18, 2008a href="http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/hotline/2008/12/hong-kong-ruling-on-prisoner-voting.php"Hong Kong ruling on prisoner voting rights is part of the modern liberal trendbr //abr /11:20 AM ETbr /br /Pui-yin Lo [Deputy Chairman, Special Committee on Constitutional Affairs and Human Rights, Hong Kong Bar Association]: "The judgment of Mr...
Cigarette chewing dog killed on way to tobacconists
Posted on December 18, 2008a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/3831918/Cigarette-chewing-dog-killed-on-way-to-tobacconists.html"Cigarette chewing dog killed on way to tobacconists/abr /br /A 10-a-day cigarette chewing 24-year-old Dachshund has been knocked down and killed ? on his way to the tobacconist's shop...
Parking fine paid with bog roll
Posted on December 17, 2008Parking fine paid with bog rollbr /br /a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/3813599/Motorist-who-paid-overzealous-parking-fine-with-toilet-paper-escapes-further-penalty.html"Motorist who paid 'overzealous' parking fine with toilet paper escapes further penaltybr /br /A motorist who paid an "overzealous" parking fine with a cheque written on toilet paper has claimed a victory for common sense after he escaped a further penalty...
Met Commander begins race claim
Posted on December 17, 2008Met Commander begins race claimbr /br /a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45031000/jpg/_45031636_4acd6f5f-ae85-4f2f-b9f8-e02549f4f7c5.jpg"img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 226px; height: 170px;" src="http://newsimg...
Arrest of Damian Green and search of his office lawful
Posted on December 17, 2008Arrest of Damian Green and search of his office lawfulbr /br /a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45248000/jpg/_45248154_green226b.jpg"img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 226px; height: 170px;" src="http://newsimg...
Asbo chief arrested over disorder
Posted on December 17, 2008a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/nottinghamshire/7787574.stm"Asbo chief arrested over disorder/abr /br /span style="font-weight:bold;"Nottingham's chief anti-social behaviour officer has been arrested over an incident of "violent disorder"/span...
Facebook first as lawyers use site to track debt-dodgers
Posted on December 17, 2008Facebook first as lawyers use site to track debt-dodgersbr /br /a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/facebook-first-as-lawyers-use-site-to-track-debtdodgers-1135999.html"A Canberra lawyer who won the right to serve legal documents on two defendants via Facebook says courts around the country will follow his lead...
Town halls banned from using spy laws for petty offences
Posted on December 16, 2008Town halls banned from using spy laws for petty offencesTown halls are to be banned from using anti-terror laws to spy on the public for petty offences, the Home Secretary is due to announce. Jacqui Smith is to order an overhaul of the use of the controversial powers which have seen councils target the public for trivial offences such as dog fouling, littering or "bin crimes"...
Iran's bloggers thrive despite blocks
Posted on December 15, 2008Iran's bloggers thrive despite blocksIran has one of the most vibrant blogging communities in the world - despite government boasts that it blocks five million websites. The BBC's Jon Leyne in Tehran is spending the day with bloggers to see what makes them tick...
Rights and responsibilities bill is all wrong
Posted on December 15, 2008Rights and responsibilities bill is all wrongBy Marcel BerlinsWhen the Queen's speech failed to mention the government's long-trailed plans for a "bill of rights and responsibilities", I felt a short burst of relief that this misguided measure had finally been laid to rest...
Terrorism adviser to Met is on wanted list
Posted on December 15, 2008Terrorism adviser to Met is on wanted listInterpol notice urges arrest of Islam TV chiefA man wanted by Interpol for his links to an alleged terrorist organisation has been advising Scotland Yard on countering Muslim extremism, a Times investigation has discovered...
A unique and effective mechanism
Posted on December 15, 2008A unique and effective mechanismIntroductionThe European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (?the Convention?) is the concrete expression at European level of a collective guarantee for some of the rights set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 10 December 1948...
Forget naked jam makers - prisons are the surprise calendar hit for 2009
Posted on December 15, 2008Forget naked jam makers - prisons are the surprise calendar hit for 2009Forget naked Women's Institute groups or scantily clad fire crews, a calendar featuring the drab walls of Britain's prisons has become a surprise best-seller.
Blind man's guide dog barred from restaurant for offending Muslims
Posted on December 15, 2008Blind man's guide dog barred from restaurant for offending MuslimsA blind man has been turned away from a fashionable Indian restaurant because his guide dog offended Muslim staff. Dirty fucking Muslims worried about the hygiene of a clean dog?Cynical Chatter From The Underworld has a more politically correct post on this story here.
Home Office to send family to be butchered by Mugabe's regime
Posted on December 14, 2008Home Office to send family to be butchered by Mugabe's regimeWoman whose husband was killed for his links to the opposition has claim for asylum rejected after eight years in UKSo, criminals can stay but innocent victims must be deported just to keep the stats looking good?
Urban otters join foxes and squirrels in Britain's towns and cities
Posted on December 14, 2008Urban otters join foxes and squirrels in Britain's towns and citiesThey were driven to the edge of extinction by pollution, but now otters are staging a comeback that is seeing them even move into Britain's towns and cities.
£130 million refurbishment bill for Jack Straw's new offices
Posted on December 14, 2008£130 million refurbishment bill for Jack Straw's new officesThe Ministry of Justice has been accused of wasting a "colossal" amount of taxpayers' money after spending more than £130 million refurbishing an old office block for its new headquarters.At around a £1,000 per square foot to refurbish, and almost 20 times more expensive than it needed to be (more dodgy contracts?), I feel that genuine questions can be raised...
The bullshit house of cards that Jack built
Posted on December 13, 2008The bullshit house of cards that Jack built[Text of a letter in pdf which I am unable to display in its original format for some unknown reason, perhaps because its an image which Blogger does not recognise]Ministry of Justice The Rt Hon Jack Straw MPJulie WrightDeputy Chief ExcutiveUNLOCK35a High StreetSnodlandKentME6 5AJ 10 December 2008Dear Julie WrightTHE UK GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSE TO THE ECtHR GRAND CHAMBER JUDGMENT IN THE CASE OF HIRST V UKThank you for your letter dated November 8 in which you have expressed concerns about the UK Government's delayed response to the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) judgment in Hirst v UK (No2)in October 2005...
Monkey Queen
Posted on December 13, 2008Monkey QueenThe PG Tips puppet Monkey, who will issue an alternative Christmas speech this yearPicture: PA
Cameron scores own goal
Posted on December 12, 2008Cameron scores own goalMiddle image: Beau Bo D'OrConway family Christmas card image: JHL and RonKnee
Immigration centre 'is unsafe'
Posted on December 12, 2008Immigration centre 'is unsafe'Inspectors have delivered a damning report on an immigration detention centre, saying it has "lost direction and purpose" and inmates feel unsafe.
Lawyers made millions from sick miners
Posted on December 12, 2008Lawyers made millions from sick miners? Pair to be struck off for serious misconduct? Firm earned £115m after misleading ill clientsThe men who became two of the highest-paid solicitors in Britain by mishandling the claims of almost 100,000 sick miners will be struck off after being found guilty of misconduct yesterday...
Paedophile found stabbed to death at home
Posted on December 12, 2008Paedophile found stabbed to death at homeA murder hunt is under way after a man thought to be a former child sex offender was found stabbed to death.The victim, found at business premises in Wandsworth, south London, also suffered "non-fatal injuries" to other parts of his body, police said...
Brown saves the world but fails to save Woolworths
Posted on December 11, 2008Brown saves the world but fails to save WoolworthsBrown pledges Woolworths support Woolworths closure sale kicks offUpdate: I have just popped into Woolworths to see if there is a bargain and to pay my last respects. There are notices stating closing down sale, and everything must go, and yet there was shelf after shelf full of tins of sweets and boxes of chocolates with notices offering 10% off...
Brown adviser: Labour's rights record dismal
Posted on December 11, 2008Brown adviser: Labour's rights record dismalOne of the eminent outsiders brought into Gordon Brown's "government of all the talents" has revealed that he quit in disgust at what he describes as Labour's "dismal" lack of political leadership on human rights...
Prison moves takeaways off menu
Posted on December 10, 2008Prison moves takeaways off menuAn investigation into a £3,500 bill for takeaway food for prisoners at a Cambridgeshire maximum security jail has led to the meals being banned.Comment: I wish somebody would take away Bridget Prentice...
Freedom is taking a battering under kneejerk New Labour
Posted on December 10, 2008Freedom is taking a battering under kneejerk New LabourJack Straw's attack on the Human Rights Act is sly populism of the worst kind, and in keeping with his party's statist traditionBy Nick CleggToday is the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights...
Judge "devastated" that robbery case costing £22 million collapses for third time
Posted on December 10, 2008Judge "devastated" that robbery case costing £22 million collapses for third timeA Heathrow robbery trial has been abandoned for the third time at the Old Bailey, at an estimated cost to the public of £22 million.John Twomey, 60, the alleged robber, has been bailed and will now face a fourth trial over the hold-up of Menzies World Cargo warehouse at the airport in February 2004...
Muslim lawyer Anjem Choudary brands Christmas 'evil'
Posted on December 10, 2008Muslim lawyer Anjem Choudary brands Christmas 'evil'Muslim preacher Anjem Choudary has branded Christmas "evil" in a sermon posted on the internet.The lawyer, who recently praised the Mumbai terror attacks, urged all Muslims to reject traditional Christmas celebrations, claiming that they are forbidden by Allah...
Move to suspend inmate vote ruling
Posted on December 10, 2008Move to suspend inmate vote rulingNickkita LauWednesday, December 10, 2008The government will ask the High Court to suspend its ruling giving prisoners the right to vote while it considers how to implement the judgment or whether to lodge an appeal.Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Stephen Lam Sui-lung said the government will make their submissions for temporary relief within 14 days...
Don't buy a turkey this Christmas, roast a Muslim instead
Posted on December 10, 2008Don't buy a turkey this Christmas, roast a Muslim insteadClick on link below...Don't buy a turkey this Christmas, roast a Muslim instead.
Happy birthday UDHR and a warning for Jack Straw
Posted on December 10, 2008Happy birthday UDHR and a warning for Jack StrawToday the 60th birthday of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights should be cause for celebration. However, I am in no party mood. This is because both Jack Straw and David Cameron are seeking to rip up the Human Rights Act 1998, and deny citizens of this country the human rights enjoyed by most of the rest of Europe since 1948...
Diary of a trainee prison governor
Posted on December 09, 2008Diary of a trainee prison governorRunning a prison is one of the toughest jobs going. Traditionally governors have worked up through the ranks, but now graduates are fast-tracked into senior roles to broaden the profile of the Prison Service.Aged 26, and standing not much more than five feet tall, Isabel Taylor defies the stereotype of the distinctly male prison governor...
Paul Dacre not Judge Eady is arrogant and amoral
Posted on December 09, 2008Paul Dacre not Judge Eady is arrogant and amoralPaul Dacre, the editor-in-chief of the Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday, is in trouble with the law for paying £10,000 for copies of stolen photographs of Madonna's wedding to Guy Ritchie. The judge who ruled in Madonna's favour is Mr Justice Eady...
'Corrupt policeman blackmailed sex offenders'
Posted on December 09, 2008'Corrupt policeman blackmailed sex offenders'A corrupt policeman tried to blackmail known sex offenders by gleaning information from a police database and threatening to tell their families and employers, a court has heard.If he gets convicted no doubt he will seek protection in prison and be living side by side with the type of prisoner he was trying to blackmail outside prison.
Civil liberties have yet to alleviate the world's misery
Posted on December 08, 2008Civil liberties have yet to alleviate the world's miseryThe Universal Declaration of Human Rights is 60 years old this week, and just as relevant as when it was first conceivedBy Francesca KlugThe most translated document in the world is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which is 60 years old this week...
Titan jails 'will repeat mistakes made in US'
Posted on December 08, 2008Titan jails 'will repeat mistakes made in US'Building giant "Titan" prison complexes will lead Britain towards a "American-style" justice system, a leading US civil rights lawyer will warn today.Professor Bryan Stevenson, from New York University, will say Britain risks copying the "damaging and discredited" US system...
Man fined for swearing at TV
Posted on December 08, 2008Man fined for swearing at TVA man has been fined £80 for swearing at his own television while drunk.Well, I must admit I do this myself. And swear at Rocky when he is barking. Whilst I feel sorry for the neighbours, it does seem that state interference is creeping ever more into our private lives.
More flexibility needed on votes for prisoners
Posted on December 08, 2008More flexibility needed on votes for prisonersLEADER: South China Morning PostDec 09, 2008 The Basic Law guarantees the right to vote to permanent residents of Hong Kong, without exception. But a law passed by the Legislative Council has long denied the vote to those in jail, again without exception...
Riot at Young Offender Institution
Posted on December 08, 2008Riot at Young Offender InstitutionPolice called to disturbance at Aylesbury Young Offenders InstitutionUpdate: Asian inmates run riot during Eid at Aylesbury centre
God save the Queen vs anarchy in the UK
Posted on December 08, 2008God save the Queen vs anarchy in the UKA Gordon Brown/David Cameron PMQ special with The Sex PistolsHat-Tip Iain Dale's Diary via Tom Watson
Factories of repression
Posted on December 07, 2008Factories of repressionBy: John Bowden - HMP GlenochilJohn Bowden considers that prison revolt and protest has been rendered far from redundant.What has become of prison revolts in the British prison system? Where now are the open expressions of collective anger and solidarity that fuelled the uprisings and jail riots of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s and created the iconic images of Hull 1976 and Strangeways 1990? What happened to the spirit of revolt that used to periodically shake the British long-term prison system and engender a philosophy of prisoner empowerment and solidarity; a philosophy that situated the struggle of prisoners at the very forefront of the universal struggle for human rights and even social revolution? Has the British prison system now become so responsive to and accommodating of the rights of prisoners that revolt and protest has been rendered unnecessary and redundant? I think not...
Cold sore virus could cause Alzheimer's
Posted on December 07, 2008Cold sore virus could cause Alzheimer'sThe virus that causes cold sores may be a major cause of Alzheimer's disease and existing drugs could be used to treat the degenerative condition, researchers have claimed.This is just what I wanted to read on a Sunday morning, seeing as I have been nursing a cold sore on my top lip for a couple of days now...
Did Santa really say "shove it up your arse"?
Posted on December 07, 2008Ho! Ho! Ho! - A modern Christmas TaleBy: John Allen - HMP GartreeThings were not going at all well in the offices of santaclaus.com. It was already December 24th and there was still a mountain of toys and presents to deliver. Back in the summer, when the decision to go 'high tec' was taken, no-one had foreseen the enormous increase in the volume of business it would mean...
Zimmer Frame Society
Posted on December 07, 2008Zimmer Frame SocietyBy: Winston Churchill IrvineWinston Churchill Irvine highlights an initiative that might signal a whole new way of caring for elderly and disabled prisonersThe prison population in England & Wales continues to surpass all previous records almost on a daily basis...
Muslims Rule
Posted on December 07, 2008Muslims Rule!By: Ben Gunn - HMP Shepton MalletLifer Ben Gunn wonders whether Muslim prisoners ?organising? is solely around their religion.So the Prison Service and Prison Inspectors are worrying about Muslims ?organising? in Belmarsh and Whitemoor. This could be a profoundly good thing - anything that unsettles the balance of power has the potential for positive change...
Paperboy terrorists and OAP drug farmers?
Posted on December 06, 2008Paperboy terrorists and OAP drug farmers?Madness...Anti-terror powers used to spy on paperboysA council used anti-terror powers to spy on paperboys to check whether a village newsagent had not obtained work permits for them.And even more madness...Police raid elderly couple's garden looking for cannabisPolice raided the home of an elderly couple looking for a drug factory because a plant in their garden smelled like cannabisJust when you thought you had heard it all...
Daily Mirror claims innocent children are pure evil
Posted on December 06, 2008Daily Mirror claims innocent children are pure evilI don't believe that even Karen Matthews is pure evil, just desperate. On the other hand, had the Daily Mirror claimed that Kate McCann is pure evil we would be in complete agreement.Hat-Tip Obsolete.
Votes for prisoners: time for action not words
Posted on December 05, 2008Votes for prisoners: time for action not wordsFormer prisoner John Hirst, one of those primarily responsible in forcing the government to change its stance on voting rights for prisoners, highlights the government?s delaying tactics, which may well have serious consequences at the next General Election...
DNA 'innocents' must be wiped after landmark human rights ruling
Posted on December 05, 2008DNA 'innocents' must be wiped after landmark human rights rulingMore than one and a half million DNA and fingerprint profiles of innocent people could be wiped from police databases after a landmark human rights ruling.Once more this case highlights that even with the Human Rights Act 1998 the English courts still have difficulty in deciding against the state and in favour of the individual, and that if we want to keep British justice it comes a poor second to European justice.
Mother guilty over Shannon kidnap
Posted on December 05, 2008Mother guilty over Shannon kidnap"Karen Matthews, the mother of nine-year-old Shannon, has been convicted of kidnapping her own daughter"."It is difficult to understand what type of woman would subject her own daughter to such a wicked and evil crime"...
Boy George guilty of false imprisonment
Posted on December 05, 2008Boy George guilty of false imprisonmentSinger Boy George has been found guilty of falsely imprisoning a male escort at his flat in east London.With prison overcrowding being in the state that it is, I wonder if there is room for one on top?
Mole hunts extended across Whitehall
Posted on December 05, 2008Mole hunts extended across WhitehallPolice mole hunts have begun into other Whitehall leaks in addition to the Damian Green investigation, the Home Office disclosed yesterday as in-fighting intensified between Scotland Yard and the Commons authorities over the raid on the Tory MP's office.
Jean Charles de Menezes inquest: Should the jury have walked out in protest?
Posted on December 04, 2008Jean Charles de Menezes inquest: Should the jury have walked out in protest?The family of Jean Charles de Menezes have staged a dramatic courtroom protest - minutes before jurors at the inquest into his death were sent out to consider their verdicts.Sir Michael Wright was wrong to prevent the inquest jury from considering whether Jean Charles de Menezes was unlawfully killed...
Full text: Police letter on MP warrant
Posted on December 04, 2008Full text: Police letter on MP warrantHere is the full text of a letter sent by the Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick to the home secretary answering a number of questions about the search of Damian Green's Common's office:3rd December 2008Dear Home Secretary,I am writing in response to a series of questions raised by your officials which relate to the search of Damian Green MP's parliamentary office on Thursday 27th November 2008...
Pomp and circumstance but no prisoners votes
Posted on December 04, 2008(click on image to enlarge)Pomp and circumstance but no prisoners votesI went to bed last night wondering why the Queen's Speech did not refer to a Bill to allow convicted prisoners their human right to vote? The reason I ask is because political commentators have mentioned that it is unusual for the Queen's Speech to be so thin on Bills...
Outrage over the Damian Green affair shouldn?t be one-sided
Posted on December 03, 2008Outrage over the Damian Green affair shouldn?t be one-sidedThe Damian Green affair has become muddled by anger and outrage. Several distinct strands about the position of civil servants and MPs need to be disentangled.First, Christopher Galley, the self-confessed leaker, has unquestionably breached the Civil Service code and the ties of loyalty and trust that apply in any large organisation...
Man jailed for having sex with a horse
Posted on December 03, 2008Man jailed for having sex with a horseA man has been jailed for three years after being caught having sex with a horse. Leeroy Le Gallais, 46, broke into the animal's stable on two separate occasions to perform sex acts on the terrified animal.During his first attack he used a bucket to stand behind the horse, called Calico, but was caught after leaving his underwear at the scene...
Galley/Green affair: An idiots guide for Tories
Posted on December 03, 2008Galley/Green affair: An idiots guide for ToriesI will write this slowly because it has become apparent that some Tories are failing to grasp the simple basics of what the Galley/Green affair is about. One must wonder why they think they can tackle the complicated task of running the country?"As part of an investigation into alleged leaks from the Home Office, a junior Home Office official [Christopher Galley] was suspended over a series of leaks of sensitive information and the matter was referred to the police...
No regrets
Posted on December 03, 2008No regretsIain Dale on the Speaker's statement "Wow. Explosive stuff".Like in damp squib?The courts have made clear that police officers do not have to tell people that they can refuse to consent to a warrantless search. In other words, a police officer does not need to read you your rights before asking you to consent to a search...
Tory blogger in wallet and mobile phone theft
Posted on December 03, 2008Tory blogger in wallet and mobile phone theftRemember, remember the twice convicted drunk driver Paul Staines/Guido Fawkes? His latest crime is that he rolled a drunk and stole his wallet and mobile phone.
When 'life' should mean life
Posted on December 02, 2008When 'life' should mean lifeA man with a ?life sentence? who kills again cannot receive an additional oneBy Dominic LawsonSometimes we learn of crimes so vile that the overwhelming public reaction is that the perpetrator should never be released back into society...
Lord Ahmed killer driver
Posted on December 02, 2008Lord Ahmed killer driverBecause Lord Ahmed was dangerously driving in that he was texting on his mobile phone at the time he crashed into another car and killing the driver, he should have taken full responsibility for his conduct. Neither he nor his lawyer is claiming that Lord Ahmed is responsible for the death by dangerous driving...
A secret trial in Britain's police state
Posted on December 02, 2008A secret trial in Britain's police stateThere is something very disturbing about a hearing in secret where neither the accused nor his lawyer attended, and the tribunal admits dodgy evidence which would not stand up in open court is used in its judgment to send a person to prison...
MPs are not above the law
Posted on December 02, 2008(click on image to enlarge)MPs are not above the lawThe arrest of Damian Green was carried out in total adherence to the law, and shows that our institutions are in rude healthRelated content:Whistleblowing or misconduct?
De Menezes inquest whitewash
Posted on December 02, 2008De Menezes inquest whitewashIn my view, Jean Charles de Menezes was unlawfully killed by serving police officers. An inquest at which the jury are not permitted to reach this verdict is a sham.
BBC should sack big mouth Stephen Nolan
Posted on December 02, 2008BBC should sack big mouth Stephen NolanIt is one thing to seek to be controversial on air, and quite another to be grossly offensive as with the big mouth Stephen Nolan. It's a question of judgement, and Nolan obviously lacks good judgement. During a serious discussion on the plight of sex slaves being repeatedly raped, with Amnesty International, the fucking stupid idiot asked whether the sex slaves enjoyed being raped...
Dominic Grieve is no judge of Damian Green's innocence
Posted on December 02, 2008Dominic Grieve is no judge of Damian Green's innocenceDominic Grieve, the shadow Home Secretary, has interfered with an ongoing police investigation by declaring that Damian Green is only guilty of doing his job. Before Damian Green is put on trial, if indeed he is put on trial at all, he will have to be charged by the police...
Complete and utter tosh
Posted on December 01, 2008Complete and utter toshThe wrong arm of the lawPolice tactics in the arrest of Damian Green are reminiscent of the legal system of a banana republic
Offenders to wear community vests
Posted on December 01, 2008Offenders to wear community vestsThousands of offenders in England and Wales are to wear high visibility vests while doing community service.Ministers have ordered 10,000 orange bibs with "Community Payback" on the back identifying them to the public...
Inside a Baghdad jail
Posted on December 01, 2008Inside a Baghdad jailA Newsnight reportAndrew North uncovers evidence of overcrowding and degrading living conditions in Iraq's jails. Video link.The conditions are disgusting. But, even in Iraq the prisoners have the vote.
Christopher Galley "If I go down I'm taking Damian Green with me"
Posted on December 01, 2008Christopher Galley "If I go down I'm taking Damian Green with me"Christopher Galley's lawyer, Neil O'May of Bindman's, is forwarding the defence of "in the public interest" for disclosing confidential documents. Reading between the lines, however, Galley is saying, in effect, "If I go down I'm taking Damian Green with me"...
Green/Galley affair: When thieves fall out...
Posted on December 01, 2008Green/Galley affair: When thieves fall out...'Tory Leaks' Official Speaks OutThe civil servant linked to the arrest of Tory frontbencher Damian Green has denied any wrongdoing.Christopher Galley appeared at a media conference but did not speak himself...
Smith defends probe into Home Office leaks
Posted on November 30, 2008Smith defends probe into Home Office leaksHome Secretary Jacqui Smith today defended the right of police to arrest a Tory MP over alleged Home Office leaks - suggesting the case was more serious than reported.Officers had to be allowed to "follow the evidence where they need to" and it would be "Stalinist" for politicians to intervene, she told the BBC...
Hairdressers face jail for offering customers mulled wine
Posted on November 30, 2008Hairdressers face jail for offering customers mulled wineHairdressers who offer their customers a festive glass of mulled wine at Christmas have been warned that they face six months in jail and a £20,000 fine. Haven't Norwich City Council got better things to do than hound hairdressers?
A case of Dale's bent question or handbags at dawn?
Posted on November 30, 2008A case of Dale's bent question or handbags at dawn?Iain Dale with the title of this post "Perhaps Brown should be arrested..." suggests rather than questions because he does not use a question mark. Mr Dale's post (which includes a YouTube video) is as follows:"I challenge any supporter of the Police action against Damian Green to argue the case that what Gordon Brown admits to in this 1985 video is different to what Damian Green is accused of - procuring misconduct in public office...
Damian Green and Christopher Galley are bang to rights
Posted on November 30, 2008Damian Green and Christopher Galley are bang to rightsMy first thought when I heard that Damian Green had been arrested and that a civil servant had been arrested for leaking official documents was, 'I thought civil servants were meant to be politically neutral?'...
Home Office mole revealed as a Tory party spy
Posted on November 30, 2008Home Office mole revealed as a Tory party spyRevealed: How civil servant accused in Shadow Minister row ran for election for the ToriesCivil servant Christopher Galley, who is accused of leaking information to Shadow Immigration Minister Damian Green, stood as a Tory candidate in 2004 elections for Sunderland Council.
Bullied boy gets bullied by the state
Posted on November 29, 2008Bullied boy gets bullied by the stateThis is a disturbing case.
?Mole? in hiding amid anger at MP Damian Green?s arrest
Posted on November 29, 2008?Mole? in hiding amid anger at MP Damian Green?s arrestThe civil servant at the heart of a Whitehall leak investigation was in hiding last night as a political storm raged over the arrest of the Tory frontbencher Damian Green.The 26-year-old civil servant was detained at his home in Middlesex at 6am on November 19...
Record number of prisoners let out early
Posted on November 29, 2008Record number of prisoners let out earlyMore than 42,000 prisoners have been let out early to ease overcrowding after the releases hit record levels. Some 2,775 inmates were released up to 18 days early last month - the highest total since the controversial scheme began in June last year...
Would you Adam and Eve it?
Posted on November 29, 2008Would you Adam and Eve it?Yesterday, I reported that binge drinking girls are to be given flip-flops by the police. Today, the police give a drunken arsonist lager!And, it's just as well that this Chinese man caught driving with no arms was not trying to text on his mobile at the time...
Christmas spirit is banned this year
Posted on November 28, 2008Christmas spirit is banned this yearCarol-singing Brownies and Guides have been banned from a shopping centre because they are considered a health and safety risk.Bah humbug!
Home Office mole revealed
Posted on November 28, 2008Home Office mole revealedAn alleged "whistleblower", thought to be a male Home Office official, was arrested 10 days ago.Mole in a hole
A return to rationality
Posted on November 28, 2008A return to rationalityThe launch of the Probation Chiefs Association underpins the vital role the service plays in our justice system
Police to reward binge drinkers with a pair of flip-flops
Posted on November 28, 2008Police to reward binge drinkers with a pair of flip-flopsLate night revellers in a Devon resort are being offered flip-flops to help them get home.
Nick Herbert attacked by Human Rights group
Posted on November 28, 2008Nick Herbert attacked by Human Rights groupI was livid as I read Tory MP Nick Herbert's speech at the British Library, so much so, I rang up the British Institute of Human Rights to complain about their support of this Boris-like buffoon. More later, but for now here is their press release in full...
The Independent starts blogging
Posted on November 27, 2008The Independent starts bloggingIt?s an exciting day at The Independent with the launch of Independent Minds, our new comment and opinion platform for Independent journalists ? and users.
Woman faces jail after guilty verdicts in 'cyber-bully' case
Posted on November 27, 2008Woman faces jail after guilty verdicts in 'cyber-bully' caseHousewife pretended to be boy of 16 as she sent online taunts to depressed teenagerA housewife who posed as a teenage boy to send hostile emails to a neighbour's daughter was found guilty yesterday of several minor charges related to the "cyber-bullying" that prompted the girl's suicide.
Teenage muggers and burglars can escape punishment by saying sorry
Posted on November 27, 2008Teenage muggers and burglars can escape punishment by saying sorryViolent teenage muggers and burglars can be let off their crimes and escape a criminal record just by saying sorry to their victims, it has emerged.I am in favour of restorative justice if it is applied properly...
Tory MP arrested as a suspected terrorist
Posted on November 27, 2008Tory MP arrested as a suspected terroristIt's just because of the likes of this man, Damian Green MP, that we need 42 days detention to question him. Followed by waterboarding at Guantanamo Bay. Five years from now, it should be decided whether to charge him with any offence and let him stand trial...
Gay penguins steal eggs from straight couples
Posted on November 27, 2008Gay penguins steal eggs from straight couplesA couple of gay penguins are attempting to steal eggs from straight birds in an effort to become "fathers", it has been reported.We're the only two gay penguins in the zoo...
Boss who shamed thief charged with false imprisonment
Posted on November 27, 2008Boss who shamed thief charged with false imprisonmentA boss who frogmarched a worker to the police station with a sign around his neck branding him a thief has been charged over the stunt.Simon Cremer, 44, tied Mark Gilbert's hands, hung a sign round his neck saying "thief" and walked him through a town centre to the police station after he discovered he had tried to take £845 from the business...
MPs seek to censor the media
Posted on November 27, 2008MPs seek to censor the mediaBritain's security agencies and police would be given unprecedented and legally binding powers to ban the media from reporting matters of national security, under proposals being discussed in Whitehall.The Intelligence and Security Committee, the parliamentary watchdog of the intelligence and security agencies which has a cross-party membership from both Houses, wants to press ministers to introduce legislation that would prevent news outlets from reporting stories deemed by the Government to be against the interests of national security...
Police quiz University Challenge contestant over RAF jacket
Posted on November 26, 2008Police quiz University Challenge contestant over RAF jacketA student who appeared on University Challenge sporting a mohican haircut and RAF-style jacket was spoken to by police after complaints from viewers.Now, if the police had instead responded to Hannah Foster's 999 call she may still be alive today! "She had tried to call for help by secretly dialling 999, but was disconnected when she was unable to speak directly to the operator".
What a plonker
Posted on November 26, 2008What a plonkerSharia law should be introduced into legal system, says leading barristerA leading barrister has said that Sharia law should be incorporated into the English legal system, it has been reported.?Given our substantial Muslim population, it is vital that we look at ways to integrate Muslim culture into our traditions...
Major news story leading to Major disaster for the economy
Posted on November 26, 2008Major news story leading to Major disaster for the economyDo You Know What it is Yet?First clue.Second clue.UPDATE: All I know is that a fellow blogger (Dizzy Thinks) is well on the way to cracking this story...UPDATED UPDATE: And another blogger (Cherrypie) is on the trail from another angle with the MOD...
In the media jungle the tiger sleeps at night
Posted on November 26, 2008In the media jungle the tiger sleeps at nightDizzy Thinks, who is part of the new media, wonders as he breaks this story, why is it that the old style media has failed to report upon it? It's the economy stupid, they're all on about it, could they have simply missed the bleeding obvious? Enter the conspiracy theorists, or was there some kind of media blackout? Did the media hold back at the request of the government because of the damage such a revelation might cause?Back in the 1960s, for a short while, I worked on the Leeds Other Paper...
Why we should be afraid of the Tory Party
Posted on November 25, 2008Why we should be afraid of the Tory PartyThe Daily Hitlergraph reports Human Rights undermines public safety, says Tory. "The Human Rights Act has undermined public safety and led to a "rights culture" developing in the UK, the Conservatives said". In my view, this is highly irresponsible reporting by the Daily Telegraph and is worse than the prank played by Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand on Andrew Sachs...
Hannah Foster's parents selfish?
Posted on November 25, 2008Hannah Foster's parents selfish?Hannah Foster's family said that killer Maninder Pal Singh Kohli's sentence of 24 years was a punishment that did not fit the crime and he should spend the rest of his life in jail."This man callously deprived Hannah of her primary human right - the right to life...
Dolphins put on spectacular display off Isle of Mull
Posted on November 25, 2008Dolphins put on spectacular display off Isle of MullA school of dolphins put on a spectacular acrobatic display near the remote Scottish Hebridean town which doubles up as the setting for the BBC children's programme Balamory.It's always a pleasure for me to put up a post that is peaceful and beautiful when there is a lot of shit going down in the world.
I thought it was against the law for a police officer to accept a bribe?
Posted on November 25, 2008I thought it was against the law for a police officer to accept a bribe?Tarique Ghaffur receives £300,000 pay-off over race claim against Scotland YardAnd, whilst we're at it...Police officers convicted for torturing their pet dogs"However they have yet to be sacked from the North Wales police force, despite the conviction"...
Currying favour with Muslim prisoners
Posted on November 25, 2008Currying favour with Muslim prisonersBack in the 1970s, when I was at HM Prison Albany (before it became a prison for sex offenders), I remember the odd occasion when prisoners would be treated to a fish and chips supper. Prison Officers would pop down to the local chippy...
Jail service 'should be split up'
Posted on November 24, 2008Jail service 'should be split up'A former jail governor has called for the prison service to be split up, with local councils taking responsibility for inmates serving short sentences.This idea of going back in time prior to 1877 when there was two penal systems, one being managed by the state and one being managed by local authorities is hardly forward planning.
Hamming it up and Christmas tree decorations
Posted on November 24, 2008Hamming it up and Christmas tree decorationsI fail to understand why the public must help out the banks once again with this budget which hits the poorest again?Meanwhile, in other news...Guantanamo detainees to have art lessons and video games to distract from jihadI would have thought that stand up comedy is a form of art?It's not even the first day of Christmas, and my true love sent to me 4 illegal immigrants in an imitation Christmas tree...
Titan Prisons my arse
Posted on November 24, 2008Titan Prisons my arseHouse of LordsWednesday, 29 October 2008.Prisons: Titans3.01 pmLord Dubs asked Her Majesty?s Government: Whether they will review their plans to build Titan prisons in light of recent projections of future prison populations...
Dead Man Walking
Posted on November 23, 2008Dead Man WalkingOn Thursday I went down with either the common cold or influenza and by Sunday I have no energy or strength for almost anything. Last night I struggled to carry a 10kg bag of coal from Nissa, just around the corner. I was stopping every few yards to catch my breath...
Bush's Guantánamo policy falls apart
Posted on November 22, 2008Bush's Guantánamo policy falls apartYesterday's court-ordered release of Guantánamo detainees has far-reaching implications for the future of the prisonThe Bush administration's Guantánamo policy is collapsing all around them as they pack their offices and prepare to leave Washington...
Burma jails comedian for 45 years
Posted on November 22, 2008Burma jails comedian for 45 yearsRap star also imprisoned as ruling junta cracks down on popular dissidentsSecret courts in Burma have sentenced a popular comedian and a hip-hop star to hefty jail terms as the military regime cracks down on its dissidents, from monks to celebrities...
Prison governor says stuff prisoners turkey this Christmas
Posted on November 22, 2008Prison governor says stuff prisoners turkey this ChristmasIt did not take long for the fall out from this case to spread from a maximum security prison to a low category resettlement prison. Ebenezer Scrooge, the governor of Blantyre House, has decided to take turkey and Christmas pudding off the prisoners Christmas Day menu, because he does not believe that this once a year treat is publicly acceptable...
Jack Straw's stand-up comedy routine?
Posted on November 21, 2008Jack Straw's stand-up comedy routine?I do question why a stand-up comedy course for 18 prisoners costs £8,000 for 8 days. It does seem a tad expensive. Therefore, it does appear to lack justification to burden the taxpayers with this bill. I don't see anything wrong with prisoners engaging in such a course, and as this article points out it has been running for 10 years...
Picture of the day
Posted on November 21, 2008Picture of the dayA dramatic sunset acts as a backdrop to Stonehenge Picture: GETTY
Hello hello what have we got ear then?
Posted on November 20, 2008Hello hello what have we got ear then?Police in '£87m ear damage claim' Police in NI will have to pay out £87m because officers were not offered ear protection during firearms training, a member of the Policing Board has said.
Escape prompts mother's jail call
Posted on November 20, 2008Escape prompts mother's jail callA man who escaped from a psychiatric hospital while awaiting trial for murder should have been in prison, his alleged victim's mother has said.It does appear that Springfield Hospital in Wandsworth, south London, has an appalling record of allowing prisoners to escape or abscond.
An Act of Innocence?
Posted on November 20, 2008An Act of Innocence?Michael Naughton questions whether the appointment of Richard Foster as the new chairman of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) can be justified, and whether we need a Innocence Act which will enable cases to be redecided in the Court of Appeal...
Prison could be good for you
Posted on November 20, 2008Prison could be good for youBy Ann WiddecombeMaking prisoners do a full day's work every weekday, for real wages, would impart skills and reduce re-offendingThe question: What good is prison?The link above is for the Guardian series, and the link below for this article"In my view, prison serves two purposes, one well and one badly...
Girl diagnoses herself with Asperger's after reading book
Posted on November 20, 2008Girl diagnoses herself with Asperger's after reading bookA 10-year-old girl diagnosed herself with Asperger's syndrome after reading a book about the condition. Rosie King realised she had difficulty in identifying facial expressions and making friends like the character she was studying...
Dick Cheney charged over abuse in private prisons
Posted on November 20, 2008Dick Cheney charged over abuse in private prisons US vice president Dick Cheney has been charged with "organised criminal activity" over allegations about abuse in privately-run prisons. A grand jury in south Texas indicted Mr Cheney and Alberto Gonzales, the former Attorney General, on state charges that they blocked an investigation into the mistreatment of prisoners...
How a Home Secretary was hoodwinked
Posted on November 20, 2008How a Home Secretary was hoodwinkedTwo drug barons have been convicted of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. They have been jailed for a total of 42 years but how did they manage to hoodwink HM Customs, a High Court judge and the then home secretary Michael Howard?There's a sucker born every minute...
'Urgent' changes needed at prison
Posted on November 19, 2008'Urgent' changes needed at prisonThe prisons inspector has called for "urgent" changes to be made at a jail in west London.Anne Owers said conditions at Wormwood Scrubs in Hammersmith had deteriorated since her last inspection.Her report said 20% of prisoners given mandatory drugs tests failed them, which had led to gang activity...
Weaning America off prison
Posted on November 19, 2008Weaning America off prisonIn the United States, a country addicted to jail, there are now more people behind bars than there are farmersThe question: What good is prison?The above link begins Prison Week asking the age old question. And, the link below is one writer's view of the answer, at least as far as our American cousins are concerned...
Rejecting youth crime to build a better future
Posted on November 19, 2008Rejecting youth crime to build a better futureToni Elkington, 16, was taken into care after problems at home in Wakefield and repeated clashes with the law. In the third of a series of blogs to mark National Youth Week, Toni talks about why young people like her get into crime, and what support they need to get out of it
The morning after the night before...
Posted on November 19, 2008The morning after the night before...Well my dinner engagement proved to be a good night out. Double JD, ice and ginger ale for starters. The main course was Sirloin steak and chips, with another JD for side dressing. There was a jazz band and they asked for requests and one of our party asked them to play Happy Birthday for me...
Houses of Parliament 'infested with vermin'
Posted on November 19, 2008Houses of Parliament 'infested with vermin'The Houses of Parliament, Downing Street and other parts of Whitehall are infested with vermin, according to official reports.I don't think we need to waste public money compiling a report to tell us what we already know...
Britney Spears compares her life to a prison sentence
Posted on November 18, 2008Britney Spears compares her life to a prison sentenceTroubled pop singer Britney Spears has compared her life to living in prison.I am sure that there are millions of prisoners throughout the world who would willingly swap their lives and prison cell for Britney Spears life...
Jailhouselawyer's 58th birthday
Posted on November 18, 2008Jailhouselawyer's 58th birthdayIt's a bright and sunny and relatively warm morning so far. A great start to my 58th birthday. The full English, 2 x sausage, 2 x bacon and 2 x eggs are in the frying pan and I am just going down to make 2 x toast and the coffee...
Hold the front page I'm just about to crash my car
Posted on November 18, 2008Hold the front page I'm just about to crash my carLabour peer Lord Ahmed to face court accused of dangerous drivingLabour peer Lord Ahmed is to face a court accused of dangerous driving after a six car Christmas Day car smash that killed a 28-year-old...
Meet the doziest burglar in Hull
Posted on November 17, 2008Meet the doziest burglar in HullA BURGLAR was caught red-handed after he fell asleep in a house he had broken into.Carlos Delgardo, 26, only woke as he was placed in handcuffs by police.Now, he has been jailed for two years after he broke into Kathleen Fleming's home in Cambridge Street, west Hull...
Prison's mental health 'scandal'
Posted on November 16, 2008Prison's mental health 'scandal'Inadequate mental health care provision at a young offenders' institution has been criticised as scandalous by Wales' children's commissioner and an MP.It seems that Securicor is quite happy to make a profit, however, when it comes to providing the required services it falls far short...
Name change for school next door to Britain's most notorious criminals
Posted on November 16, 2008Name change for school next door to Britain's most notorious criminalsDespite good results and praise from Ofsted, a school has struggled to attract applicants -- and the staff think they know why. Now, Broadmoor Primary School is to change its name in an effort to break the association with the high-security hospital next door, which is home to some of Britain's most notorious criminals including Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper...
Energy firms 'profit from poor'
Posted on November 15, 2008Energy firms 'profit from poor'Energy suppliers make some of their biggest profits from their poorest customers, a watchdog has said.Firms make about half a billion pounds a year in extra charges from prepayment meters, Consumer Focus estimates.About 1,000 prepayment meters a day are being installed in households where people have got into debt over their energy bills, it says...
Shannon Matthews kidnap accused has been attacked in prison
Posted on November 15, 2008Shannon Matthews kidnap accused has been attacked in prisonMichael Donovan, 40, was assaulted by an inmate after returning from court to Armley Jail, Leeds, where he is being held on remand.He was punched twice in the face twice and appeared in the dock yesterday (fri) with a red mark below his nose...
Police officers stay in jobs despite serious convictions
Posted on November 15, 2008Police officers stay in jobs despite serious convictionsPolice officers convicted of serious violent offences are continuing to serve, it has emerged. Dozens of officers at a single force are patrolling the streets despite convictions for gun crimes, actual bodily harm, theft and other offences...
Is Guido into kiddie porn?
Posted on November 15, 2008Is Guido into kiddie porn?I suspect that Paul Staines author of Guido's blog, and to a lesser extent, Phil Hendren author of Dizzy Thinks, will not be best chuffed that The Times is suggesting that the likes of them get their jollies from the virtual-reality, battered-infant graphic of Baby P...
No early release for dying Lockerbie bomber
Posted on November 14, 2008No early release for dying Lockerbie bomberLibyan man Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi fails to gain early release from prison because he is terminally ill with late-stage cancer"Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi, the Libyan man jailed for the Lockerbie bombing, today lost an attempt to secure early release from prison because he is terminally ill with cancer...
Holy Moses the Tories unveil their secret weapon
Posted on November 14, 2008Holy Moses the Tories unveil their secret weaponApologies to Iain Dale's DiaryIdea from JailhouselawyerPhotoshop RonKnee
Tories expel MEP over misuse of funds
Posted on November 13, 2008Tories expel MEP over misuse of fundsAn MEP who channelled more than £500,000 of allowances into a business run by his wife and daughter has been expelled from the Conservative Party. Den Dover, who used to be the party's chief whip in Europe, was dismissed after David Cameron learnt that a European Parliament investigation had found major discrepancies in his use of allowances...
Wrongly jailed men fail to get higher compensation
Posted on November 13, 2008Wrongly jailed men fail to get higher compensationTwo victims of high-profile "miscarriages of justice" cases lost a legal battle for increased compensation awards today.Darren Hall was wrongly imprisoned for killing Cardiff newsagent Philip Saunders, and Stephen Miller wrongly served time for the brutal murder of prostitute Lynette White...
Words fail
Posted on November 13, 2008Words failThe unspeakable case of Baby P raises profound questions about the state of Britain today. The welfare state has created some communities with no trace of moralityHaringey Council's decision to clear itself of any wrongdoing in the appalling case of Baby P, the child who died from unspeakable injuries after as many as 60 visits from health and social workers, points to profound problems within that local authority...
Order order
Posted on November 13, 2008Order orderA massive brawl broke out in the Ukrainian parliament ahead of a televised state of the nation address by President Yushchenko.Video link.It is a pity that our parliamentary proceedings are so boring in comparison...
Grendon Prison to receive the Longford Prize
Posted on November 12, 2008Grendon Prison to receive the Longford PrizeA prison which has achieved stunning results in reducing offending by dangerous and disturbed criminals ? often in the face of hostility from prison bosses ? will be honoured today for its pioneering work.Peter Bennett, its governor, said yesterday: "Grendon has survived since 1962...
PC in un-PC Jungle law row
Posted on November 12, 2008PC in un-PC Jungle law rowA highly successful traffic officer has been sacked over an alleged racist remark after being overheard saying a suspect was being "sent back to the jungle".I don't support racism or racists. The remark may well have been mildly racist, or even black humour, in any event, I feel that the response is somewhat disproportionate to the alleged offence...
Brazilian woman killed by husband's coffin
Posted on November 12, 2008Brazilian woman killed by husband's coffinA Brazilian woman has died after being struck by her husband's coffin when the hearse they were travelling in was involved in a car crash.Tragicomedy...
Baby P and the fascist thugs in the blogosphere
Posted on November 12, 2008Baby P and the fascist thugs in the blogosphereI don't think there can be many people who were not shocked upon hearing about the horrific case of Baby P.Over at Comment Central there is a well written and balanced piece by Theodore Dalrymple "We can't be surprised by the death of Baby P - A lethal mixture of bureaucracy, blame culture and fear of violence blinds us to the horror that is staring us in the face"...
Ex-police officer jailed over sex abuse
Posted on November 11, 2008Ex-police officer jailed over sex abuseA retired police officer has been jailed for four years after being convicted of a "systematic" campaign of sex abuse against two young girls.It makes you wonder when simply downloading child pornography attracts a 2 year jail term, and yet years of actual physical sexual abuse only warrants an additional 2 years? Then there is the abuse of power aspect which should have attracted a heavier penalty...
Chinese security officers jailed for fatal beating of man who filmed them
Posted on November 11, 2008Chinese security officers jailed for fatal beating of man who filmed themA Chinese court has jailed four security officers who beat a man to death after he filmed them clashing with villagers, in a case which gained nationwide notoriety.But the family of Wei Wenhua have vowed to appeal because of their anger at the light sentences given to his assailants, who were ordered to serve between three and six years...
Talksport suspends Gaunt for Nazi jibe
Posted on November 11, 2008Talksport suspends Gaunt for Nazi jibeHe is one of the country's most famous shock-jocks, notorious for his right-wing views, abrasive style and refusal to pull any punches in the fight against political correctness. But this time, Jon Gaunt has gone too far...
Obama to fulfil promise and shut Guantanamo
Posted on November 11, 2008Obama to fulfil promise and shut GuantanamoAs one of his first acts in the White House, Barack Obama is preparing to move hundreds of detainees from Guantanamo Bay prison to the US where they will be given legal hearings, trials or face yet-to-be-established special terrorist courts...
When the pain of life becomes too unbearable
Posted on November 11, 2008When the pain of life becomes too unbearableTeenager wins right to die after hospital tried to force her to have heart transplantA terminally-ill teenager has won the right to die after she was taken to court by her local hospital in an attempt to force her to have a heart transplant against her wishes...
China offers therapy to 4 million internet addicts
Posted on November 11, 2008China offers therapy to 4 million internet addictsChinese hospitals will open special units to treat internet addiction after surveys revealed that over four million teenagers spend more than six hours a day online.There's no hope for me then, I spend up to 16 hours per day on t'internet...
Student dressed as Rambo arrested over plastic toy knife
Posted on November 11, 2008Student dressed as Rambo arrested over plastic toy knifeA student who dressed up as Rambo for a night out with friends was arrested because his outfit included a plastic toy knife. Anthony Radley, 21, was made up as the film character played by Sylvester Stallone when he was spotted by police officers...
Blogger jailed for 20 years in Burma
Posted on November 11, 2008Blogger jailed for 20 years in BurmaBurma has jailed a blogger for 20 years and handed down even longer sentences to other activists who criticised the regime.Nay Phone Latt, 28, was among five pro-democracy activists jailed on Monday. A former member of the detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition party, he was sentenced along with a poet, Saw Wai, who is accused of penning a secret anti-junta message in one of his works...
Campaigners fight asylum centre
Posted on November 10, 2008Campaigners fight asylum centreA campaign group has been launched to fight plans for an asylum seeker detention centre in Oxfordshire.If it looks like a prison...
Millions 'plan heating cutbacks'
Posted on November 10, 2008Millions 'plan heating cutbacks'More than 4.5 million elderly people in the UK will heat just one room in their home this winter to try to reduce their energy bills, a survey suggests.This rather reminds me of a prison cell. Both the government and energy companies have to take responsibility for making pensioners prisoners in a single room in their own houses...
Opinion poll: Do you believe convicted prisoners should have the vote?
Posted on November 10, 2008Opinion poll: Do you believe convicted prisoners should have the vote?See in sidebar.The legality of the next election depends upon Parliament legislating to allow all convicted prisoners to vote.
What was Dave doing on the yacht of an Australian convict?
Posted on November 10, 2008What was Dave doing on the yacht of an Australian convict?I know it's an old story. With a new twist in the tale. Britain used to transport convicts to our penal colony Australia. Rupert Murdoch is Australian. Australia is famous for the sun. We have The Sun in Britain...
I would echo Tim Ireland's view that Iain Dale is a pseudo-blogger
Posted on November 10, 2008I would echo Tim Ireland's view that Iain Dale is a pseudo-bloggerMadame Gypsy Rose Dale looked into his crystal balls and murmurmed "Pity he never thought about the human right to live of the woman he killed, eh?".A clouded judgement formed by prejudice, ignorance and fear...
Question Time for Iain Dale?
Posted on November 10, 2008Question Time for Iain Dale?"Parliament Should Decide on Prisoners' Voting Rights - Not Judges" is the headline in Iain Dale's Diary.In the sense that Parliament legislates to enfranchise citizens, then Parliament should decide on prisoners voting rights...
Man taken to court after wheelie bin falls over
Posted on November 10, 2008Man taken to court after wheelie bin falls overA householder has been taken to court for dumping rubbish after his wheelie bin toppled over, spilling its contents. Gary Rostron, 34, a care worker, claims the bin was knocked over after he left it out for collection in March...
Monitoring the Government?s Response to Human Rights Judgments: Annual Report 2008
Posted on November 10, 2008Monitoring the Government?s Response to Human Rights Judgments: Annual Report 2008"Prisoners? voting rights (Hirst v UK)47. Since our last Report, we have exchanged correspondence with the Ministry of Justice on the need to implement measures in response to the decision of the Grand Chamber of the ECtHR that the blanket ban on voting by prisoners in the UK is incompatible with the right to participate in free and fair elections, as guaranteed by Article 3, Protocol 1 ECHR...
Oh really O'Riley Obama is Irish
Posted on November 10, 2008Oh really O'Riley Obama is IrishHat-Tip to Nich Starling No1 LibDem blogger
Ban on votes for prisoners is illegal, says EU
Posted on November 09, 2008Ban on votes for prisoners is illegal, says EUHuman rights group warns that without a change in the law, Britain's next election could be invalidThe government must give prisoners the right to vote or the next general election will be illegal under European law, ministers have been warned by parliament's influential Joint Committee on Human Rights...
Jack Straw and Nick Herbert should themselves take responsibilities
Posted on November 09, 2008Jack Straw and Nick Herbert should themselves take responsibilities Nick Herbert, the Shadow Justice Secretary, is wrong to claim that "Today marks the 10th anniversary of the Human Rights Act - legislation that was meant to embody the values that our servicemen, who we honour today, have fought and died to defend"...
Judge asks media whether to release Guantanamo Bay 'torture' evidence
Posted on November 08, 2008Judge asks media whether to release Guantanamo Bay 'torture' evidenceA High Court judge has invited the media for advice about publishing legal evidence in a case concerning a British terror suspect held at Guantanamo Bay Binyam Mohamed, 30, an Ethiopian national and British resident, was held in Pakistan in 2002, when he was questioned by an MI5 officer...
MPs should only have inside interests and no outside interests
Posted on November 07, 2008MPs should only have inside interests and no outside interestsThe Independent reports "David Cameron may be forced to shelve plans to curb the outside earnings of his Shadow Cabinet after a revolt by frontbenchers who do not want to give up their lucrative jobs outside politics"...
The Man In The Mirror: I?m Gonna Make A Change
Posted on November 07, 2008The Man In The Mirror: I?m Gonna Make A Change I?m Gonna Make A Change, For Once In My Life It?s Gonna Feel Real Good, Gonna Make A Difference Gonna Make It Right As I Turn Up The Collar On My Favorite Winter Coat This Wind Is Blowin? My Mind I See The Kids In The Street, With Not Enough To Eat Who Am I, To Be Blind Pretending Not To See Their Needs? A Summer?s Disregard, A Broken Bottle Top, And One Man?s Soul...
Prison plan for former hospital
Posted on November 07, 2008Prison plan for former hospitalA former psychiatric hospital could become a prison under new proposals.A meeting involving the owners of the North Wales Hospital site in Denbigh and a Ministry of Justice minister has taken place to discuss the plans.I fail to see how Denbigh Hospital which was built in 1844 and closed in 1995, could become a new prison...
About Vodafone UK and the unfair contract terms
Posted on November 07, 2008About Vodafone UK and the unfair contract termsThe other day my friend Victor tried to call my mobile phone number and could not get through.I knew my credit had recently run out and went to buy a £10 top up, even though I know people have called me before when I do not have credit on my mobile phone, and the PayPoint failed to register a connection...
Barack Obama: It was the internet wot won it
Posted on November 06, 2008Barack Obama: It was the internet wot won itHow many times has the Sun claimed the victory at an election, ie, "The Sun Wot Won It", etc? Last night on Newsnight there was an interesting claim made by Arianna Huffington that two factors are responsible for Barack Obama's victory; first Bush; second the internet.
Arts behind bars
Posted on November 05, 2008Arts behind barsBy David RamsbothamIf we believe in rehabilitating offenders, then we must recognise the role cultural activities can play in rebuilding self-esteem"I doubt that there is anyone who disagrees that the aim of the penal system should be to protect the public by preventing re-offending...
So tragic
Posted on November 05, 2008So tragicI am not talking about Iain Dale here when I refer to the dangers of having a sly puff in the toilets, rather it concerns 20 die as cigarette sets fire to coach in Germany. There is no mention whether the man who caused the blaze was amongst the number of fatalities or seriously burned...
Smokers banned from fostering childrern
Posted on November 05, 2008Smokers banned from fostering childrernA controversial new policy to ban smokers from fostering children has been passed by a council.The ban, which was passed unanimously at a cabinet meeting of Redbridge Council last night, means that children in the east London borough will not be placed with foster carers who smoke after January 2010...
King's dream becomes Obama's reality
Posted on November 05, 2008King's dream becomes Obama's realityWhilst I was watching the US election unfold, I heard someone say she has not been so excited since JFK was elected as President. And we know what happened to him. I was amused by the comment saying colour did not matter, and concluding that it is great to have the first black President...
Troublemaker's turnaround
Posted on November 05, 2008Troublemaker's turnaroundA self-confessed troublemaker is to receive an award in Leeds for being one of the country's most inspirational achievers. Video link.It is heartwarming to see a success story like this. If the lock 'em up and throw away the key lobby are allowed to prevail then stories like this would never see the light.
Children 'should not be jailed'
Posted on November 05, 2008Children 'should not be jailed'The prisons inspector has called for an end to the incarceration of children, after an "unprecedented rise" in the number of inmates under the age of 16.I am confused by this report because Scotland's justice secretary, Kenny MacAskill, said there were currently no under-16s in prison...
Blue tits?
Posted on November 04, 2008Blue tits?"An inventor from Gedney in Lincolnshire has come up with the ideal solution for ladies who hate cold mornings".I don't know if this will catch on and appeal to the ladies...
Homophobic GP banned for a year
Posted on November 04, 2008Homophobic GP banned for a yearThe head of the Islamic Medical Association (IMA) has been suspended from medical practice after sending an "offensive and homophobic" letter.Dr Muhammad Siddiq has been suspended for 12 months over the letter he sent to the GPs' magazine Pulse last July...
Police officers kicked pet dogs
Posted on November 04, 2008Police officers kicked pet dogsTwo police officers have been told they face possible jail sentences for causing suffering and "mental terror" to their two pet dogs.Magistrates in Denbigh heard how Anja Mason, 29 and Craig Macleod, 34, who lived together in Prestatyn, now also face losing their jobs...
Married inmates' suicide analysed
Posted on November 04, 2008Married inmates' suicide analysedBeing married makes you more likely to commit suicide in prison, according to an Oxford University study.Well, I must say, that is a turn up for the books.
Poppycock: Guido's fake exclusive
Posted on November 04, 2008Poppycock: Guido's fake exclusiveIt would appear that Paul Staines aka Guido Fawkes, the BNP/Tory blogger, is still sore about making a complete ass of himself on Newsnight. Lest we forget, the closest Staines comes to the poppy appeal is his fondness for smoking lines of heroin on silver foil...
Murder victim 'just out of jail'
Posted on November 03, 2008Murder victim 'just out of jail'A man who died after being found injured at a house in north Hampshire had just been released from prison.2Dwayne Ayres, 20, from Yateley, was discovered at a bungalow in Holt Way, Hook, early on Sunday and later died in hospital...
A raped 13-year-old girl stoned to death for adultery
Posted on November 03, 2008A raped 13-year-old girl stoned to death for adulteryAn Islamist rebel administration in Somalia had a 13-year-old girl stoned to death for adultery after the child's father reported that three men had raped her.And this is the kind of Sharia law which the Muslim Council of Great Britain seeks to implement in this country...
Chatty OAPs banned from park bench for being too noisy
Posted on November 03, 2008Chatty OAPs banned from park bench for being too noisyA group of pensioners have been told they cannot meet and chat on a park benches, because their talking has been deemed anti-social."The seven pensioners, including a 96-year-old and her friend who dedicated 40 years of her life to the NHS, have been told their teatime chats are a 'noise nuisance' which disturbs nearby residents...
Change: Paint The White House Black
Posted on November 03, 2008Change: Paint The White House BlackGeorge Clinton Ice Cube - Paint The White House Blackby oublierleracismeskyblog
Immigrants and asylum-seekers to be denied justice in courts shake up
Posted on November 03, 2008Immigrants and asylum-seekers to be denied justice in courts shake upOne of the worst judges I have ever come across, Lord Justice Carnwath (pictured above), is to oversee the reform of the tribunal service.The whole point of having judicial review is to provide a check upon decision-makers...
Australian teen arrested breaking into police station
Posted on November 03, 2008Australian teen arrested breaking into police stationA teenage boy has stunned police with his boldness after he broke into a police station ? and was promptly arrested.Now might be the right time for him to decide to embark upon a different career...
Can somebody tell God I am not a duck?
Posted on November 02, 2008Can somebody tell God I am not a duck?When I went for an afternoon walk in the park with Rocky on October 31st, he sniffed out a chocolate bar that somebody was trying to hide from him and ended up stealing, taxing or extremely cadging it. I took it from Rocky only allowing him some and keeping the remainder intending to give it him at some later stage...
John Haase is a grass versus did Michael Howard accept a £400,000 bribe to release 2 prisoners early?
Posted on November 01, 2008John Haase is a grass versus did Michael Howard accept a £400,000 bribe to release 2 prisoners early?A convicted drug dealer claimed that he bribed former Home Secretary Michael Howard £400,000 to get an early release from prison, a court has heard.Haase, 59, and his cousin Paul Bennett, 44, received a Royal Pardon in 1996 and were released 11 months into a 17 year sentence for smuggling heroin, jurors were told...
Noisy parrot case costs taxpayer more than £26,000
Posted on November 01, 2008Noisy parrot case costs taxpayer more than £26,000A judge has criticised a council for spending £26,000 on a legal wrangle involving three noisy parrots, saying the costs were "out of all proportion" to the case.Deborah Coleman's three Amazon parrots were made the subject of a noise abatement notice following complaints from neighbours over their squawking...
Prince Charles raises the royal standard...
Posted on November 01, 2008Prince Charles raises the royal standard...The bloke next to the Queen shows his pleasure at Charles' display, however, Her Majesty is not amused... click to enlarge
Criminals on probation commit a murder and a rape every week
Posted on October 31, 2008Criminals on probation commit a murder and a rape every weekCriminals spared jail and supervised by the Probation Service are committing one murder and one rape every week, official figures have revealed. In the two years to April this year, offenders serving community sentences and suspended sentences were convicted of a total of 121 murders and 103 rapes...
And the story that Newsnight should have led with: Congo fighting causing humanitarian catastrophe
Posted on October 31, 2008And the story that Newsnight should have led with: Congo fighting causing humanitarian catastropheFighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo is threatening to cause a humanitarian catastrophe as tens of thousands become refugees, aid agencies have warned.
It's Déjà vu on Newsnight
Posted on October 31, 2008It's Déjà vu on NewsnightHe's gone...She's gone...Why hasn't he gone?It's Déjà vu on Newsnight. Last night again the lead story was the stunt that went wrong. It dragged on and on and on for 25 minutes. The BBC suspending Jonathan Ross for 3 months without pay has cost him £1...
Tesco plays the race card
Posted on October 31, 2008Tesco plays the race cardAfter a fairly heavy drinking session with Victor yesterday afternoon, I went out between 7-8pm to take Rocky for a walk and put some money on my gas card and electric key at the Paki shop, and with the idea of buying some Tesco own brand cheap sausages for tea...
Jack Straw is wrong our prison system is a disgrace
Posted on October 30, 2008Jack Straw is wrong our prison system is a disgraceTime to get tough. Anyone listening to Jack Straw's promises of stricter punishment for offenders might suppose that jails are cushy places combining the comforts of Claridges with the spacious, if austere, surroundings of the Marshalsea debtors' prison, as featured in the BBC adaptation of Little Dorrit...
Topsy turvy world of BBC Newsnight
Posted on October 30, 2008Topsy turvy world of BBC NewsnightI couldn't believe it last night when Newsnight's lead story was Russell Brand had resigned from his Radio 2 show. Apparently, a stunt backfired. When it was aired, there was 2 complaints from listeners. Following the gutter press making a mountain out of a mole hill, 27,000 people who had not heard it then complained to the BBC...
Prison education scheme 'failed'
Posted on October 30, 2008Prison education scheme 'failed'Schemes to improve prisoners' basic skills and qualifications in English jails have "failed in almost every respect", an MPs' committee has said.
No help for war veterans
Posted on October 29, 2008No help for war veteransThe government has refused to fund a trip to France for surviving Normandy war veterans to celebrate the 65th Anniversary of D-Day.Video link.
Prison reformer misses the point
Posted on October 29, 2008Prison reformer misses the pointJuliet Lyon the director of Prison Reform Trust and secretary general of Penal Reform International, in an article for Comment is free concludes:"The conditions in prison may no longer be Dickensian but young mothers are still going to jail for the same reasons they were in Victorian times: poverty, debt, addiction and mental illness"...
Former prisoner Mohamed Nasheed wins Maldives election
Posted on October 29, 2008Former prisoner Mohamed Nasheed wins Maldives electionA former Amnesty International "prisoner of conscience" has spectacularly beaten his former jailer and Asia's longest serving ruler, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, in the Maldives' first democratic election...
Giving prisoners a purpose
Posted on October 29, 2008Giving prisoners a purposeHansardPrisoners2. Angela Watkinson (Upminster) (Con): What recent discussions he has had with HM Prison Service on increasing the amount of purposeful activity undertaken by inmates in prisons. [230371]28 Oct 2008 : Column 7119...
Tagging 'allows curfew breaches'
Posted on October 28, 2008Tagging 'allows curfew breaches'Criminals given electronic tags could break their curfews for more than 11 hours and still not be arrested, a report has revealed.Probation inspectors found that being at home for just a few minutes qualified offenders for a warning...
Straw man
Posted on October 28, 2008Straw manThere must be more than one Jack Straw at large in the cabinet. The thoughtful Mr Straw wrote the forward to a recent collection of essays on penal reform, a book which not only called for a massive cut in the prison population, but included that call in its title...
A prickly subject and it's not Jack Straw for a change...
Posted on October 27, 2008A prickly subject and it's not Jack Straw for a change...A rare blond hedgehog enjoys some autumn sunshine at a rescue centre after being found at a West Midlands care home. His light colouring makes him too vulnerable to predators to live in the wild...
Why has Jack Straw shoved his head up his arse?
Posted on October 27, 2008Why has Jack Straw shoved his head up his arse?I am somewhat puzzled why Jack Straw has decided to give this particular speech to the Royal Society of Arts? Google informs me that: "The RSA is a charity which encourages the development of a principled, prosperous society and the release of human potential"...
A prison scandal that should shame us all
Posted on October 27, 2008A prison scandal that should shame us allThe Government's disclosure, in answer to a question tabled by the Liberal Democrats, that an average of 1.7 babies are born each week to women in prison, has a melancholy and Dickensian ring to it. True, the prisons into which these women are serving sentences are not necessarily grim Victorian fortresses, but it is a dismal comment on the state of our society that we even tolerate the idea of so many children spending their first months of life behind bars...
Jack Straw: 'Punishing criminals must come before offenders' needs'
Posted on October 27, 2008Jack Straw: 'Punishing criminals must come before offenders' needs'Punishing criminals must be the main factor in guiding sentencing policy, Jack Straw will say in a speech as he admits that the Government has too often concentrated on the needs of offenders...
The 'posh' Prescott
Posted on October 27, 2008The 'posh' PrescottI found the first part of the BBC 2 programme on John Prescott and class very entertaining. He reminds me of Les Dawson.I couldn't help thinking that his missus behaved like that Bucket woman, Hyacinth.The three London girls were natural born comedians, unfortunately they were as thick as pig shit...
Supermarket chimney sweep?
Posted on October 26, 2008Supermarket chimney sweep?A naked man found wedged in the chimney of a supermarket in Wigan has been arrested on suspicion of burglary.
Phil Woolas MP was 'pied' by Manchester students
Posted on October 25, 2008Phil Woolas MP was 'pied' by Manchester students
Toss the wanker overboard...
Posted on October 25, 2008Toss the wanker overboard...Link.Hat-Tip to Bob Piper
Jailed son freed in father mix-up
Posted on October 25, 2008Jailed son freed in father mix-upPrison officers released the wrong man after an "administrative error" led to him being mixed up with his father, the Ministry of Justice said.Father and son, both called Terence Clegg, were in HMP Durham, with the elder Clegg due for release...
Voters lose confidence in Osborne after row
Posted on October 25, 2008Voters lose confidence in Osborne after rowFewer than one in six voters believes George Osborne has the judgement necessary to handle the economy, according to a new poll underlining the fallout from claims that the shadow Chancellor was involved in discussions about a donation from a Russian billionaire...
Italian police to use 200mph Lamborghini
Posted on October 25, 2008Italian police to use 200mph Lamborghini Italian police unveiled the latest weapon in their war on speeding motorists yesterday ? a muscular, blue and white Lamborghini capable of travelling at 200 miles per hour.Z Cars eat your heart out...
Frogwogs are sore losers
Posted on October 25, 2008Frogwogs are sore losersI see that the Frogwogs intend to rewrite history to try to minimise the British victory at Agincourt, and accuse us of war crimes during the battle. Perhaps, they are only being Sarkozyiastic?
If this is art I'm a Dutchman
Posted on October 24, 2008If this is art I'm a DutchmanOne oil canvas, entitled Tesco Value Tomato Soup, fetched £140,000, more than the estimated £80,000, according to Bonhams, the auction house.Some of Banksy's work I would call art. With this I feel he is taking the piss, and making the point that some people have more money than sense.
Fishermen catch dog a mile out to sea
Posted on October 24, 2008Fishermen catch dog a mile out to seaTwo North Sea fishermen made an unusual catch when they caught a dog.Freddie, a 14-year-old cairn terrier, became disorientated in the fog while on a walk with his owner Jean Brigstock.It slipped into the water as Mrs Brigstock, 73, searched for it but had no success and assumed he was hiding in a nearby holiday park...
NARK LEECH
Posted on October 24, 2008NARK LEECHThe one thing that is consistent about Mark Leech is his overblown ego andposturing as some kind of self-appointed spokesman for prisoners as though noone else's opinion counts and such a sensitive guy is this parody of a man called MarkLeech that like a big girl's blouse he launches into the world of the conspiracytheorists that everyone is out to get him and to him that is unforgivable as he letsloose with vitriolic abuse even against the more diplomatic and civilised criticismof him...
Bowsy Wowsy: Tories on the ropes claims Iain Dale
Posted on October 24, 2008Bowsy Wowsy: Tories on the ropes claims Iain DaleThe Independent, in a good article, asks the question: Are attack dogs man's best friend?Then there is the question why did Iain Dale bother to write and the Daily Telegraph bother to publish: The Conservatives should let their attack dogs off the leash?Iain Dale informs us that "Denis MacShane is a Labour MP"...
Sharia Law breaches English Law on human rights decides the House of Lords
Posted on October 24, 2008Sharia Law breaches English Law on human rights decides the House of Lords"The House of Lords [yesterday] drew stark attention to the conflict between sharia and UK law, calling the Islamic legal code "wholly incompatible" with human rights legislation...
Going going gone - Chairman no chair no man
Posted on October 23, 2008Going going gone - Chairman no chair no manChairman no chair no man"South African MP Nhlanhla Nene was being interviewed live on a parliamentary review programme when a loud-crack was heard, seconds later his chair collapsed.The South African Broadcasting Commission has apologised to Mr Nene, and said that "all necessary precautions are being put in place to avoid a similar incident"...
Drinking too much coffee 'could shrink women's breasts'
Posted on October 23, 2008Drinking too much coffee 'could shrink women's breasts' Before coffeeAfter coffee
Would you Adam and Eve it?
Posted on October 23, 2008First we had mouse kills snake and now it's spider eats bird
Drug can reverse the effects of MS
Posted on October 23, 2008Drug can reverse the effects of MSDiscovery is hailed as breakthrough in treatment of debilitating condition"Scientists have made a dramatic leap forward in the treatment of multiple sclerosis with the discovery of a drug that not only halts the disease but can also reverse it".
Internet related
Posted on October 23, 2008Internet relatedDid the piano teacher, who has really been arrested, 'murder' her husband by strangling him with a piano wire? No, she deleted his not real life on-line digital persona.And, Del Boy's been at it again...A man is being threatened with a libel action after posting critical comments on the internet about an eBay user who sold him a mobile phoneIn my view, it was fair comment...
Pervez death sentence quashed by Afghan court
Posted on October 22, 2008Pervez death sentence quashed by Afghan courtA Kabul appeals court has quashed a death sentence imposed on the Afghan student Sayed Pervez Kambaksh for downloading information from the internet on women's rights.The judges ruled however, that the 24-year-old trainee journalist should serve 20 years in jail ? a decision Mr Kambaksh's lawyers insisted was unconstitutional and should be overturned by the country's supreme court...
Blogging plant posts daily news on its mood
Posted on October 22, 2008Blogging plant posts daily news on its mood Revealed. The author of Iain Dale's Diary is actually a Japanese plant in a plant pot.A potted plant that posts daily news on its mood and health is believed to be the world's first botanical blogger.
Thousands more ex-frontline soldiers in the criminal justice system than previously believed
Posted on October 22, 2008Thousands more ex-frontline soldiers in the criminal justice system than previously believedThe number of former soldiers who have been convicted of a crime after returning from the frontline is 4,000 higher than previously thought, it was claimed yesterday...
Should we want to cure autism?
Posted on October 22, 2008Should we want to cure autism?Two American grandparents are raising the global profile of the condition starting with a controversial debate in London tonight. Cassandra Jardine reports."Autism might have kept a low profile in the United States, if it hadn't affected Bob Wright's grandson, Christian...
More Effing Madness from local councils
Posted on October 22, 2008More Effing Madness from local councilsWoman, 80, warned she faces prosecution for feeding birds in her gardenDon't you just wish sometimes that nosy neighbours would just mind their own business, and that councils would busy themselves with important issues rather than try to make peoples lives a misery?
Don't strain yourself dipping into the till
Posted on October 22, 2008Don't strain yourself dipping into the tillAndrew Pilfering MPHat-Tip to Bob Piper
Sitemeter and spam
Posted on October 22, 2008Sitemeter and spamFor technical reasons I am unable to publish the screengrab. However, as you can clearly see from the list of visits to my blog all bar the last has my blog URL as the address. Therefore what is the last one doing there and who has allowed it to encroach upon my blog? sitemeter statistics | manager | logout Oct 23 200800: 15: 19AMGMT: 1:00Oct 22 200823: 46: 05PMGMT: 1:00 home generalSummaryWho's On?Traffic Prediction recent visitorsBy DetailsBy ReferralsBy World MapBy LocationBy Out ClicksBy Entry PagesBy Exit Pages visitsCurrent Day Previous 7 DaysPrevious 30 DaysPrevious 12 Months visits and page viewsCurrent DayPrevious 7 DaysPrevious 30 DaysPrevious 12 Months page rankingEntry PagesExit Pages support+serviceKnowledgeCenterSubmit Support RequestUpgrade Account Jailhouselawyers BlogEntry Pages Ranked by Visits Entry Page 1 http://prisonersvoice...
Jailhouselawyer beats the Daily Telegraph to number one on Google
Posted on October 22, 2008Jailhouselawyer beats the Daily Telegraph to number one on GoogleLink.The difference between has and could have?Update: I couldn't help but notice that the so-called number one political blogger Iain Dale only managed to reach number 8 in the list (according to Total Politics only the first 7 count for anything).
Is there a link between the rise of Islamists in the penal system and the proposed Titan Prisons?
Posted on October 22, 2008Is there a link between the rise of Islamists in the penal system and the proposed Titan Prisons?UK prison officers are ill-equipped to deal with the growing threat of Muslim terrorists and those converting to Islam whilst in prison. Briefly, it has reopened the Concentration versus Dispersal debate...
Happy 10th birthday to the Human Rights Act (1998)
Posted on October 22, 2008Happy 10th birthday to the Human Rights Act (1998) Jack Straw has given a speech to mark the 10th anniversary of the Human Rights Act at the Annual Human Rights Law Conference.[Check against delivery: this is the prepared text of the speech, and may differ from the delivered version...
Terrorist Recruitment in American Correctional Institutions
Posted on October 22, 2008Terrorist Recruitment in American Correctional InstitutionsLink.Related contentTerrorists in prison
Is Mohamed Al Fayed a paedophile?
Posted on October 22, 2008Is Mohamed Al Fayed a paedophile?Mohamed Fayed was interviewed under caution by police today in connection with an allegation of sexual assault against a girl under 16, sources said.
George Osborne has committed a crime
Posted on October 22, 2008George Osborne has committed a crimeDenis MacShane, the Labour MP, told the BBC: "We passed a law in the year 2000 which says, and I read, "a person commits an offence" and as I say he's committed a crime, "if he does any act likely to facilitate the making of a donation to a registered party by any person other than a permissible donor" and this Russian gentleman is not a permissible donor...
The Guantanamo farce continues
Posted on October 21, 2008The Guantanamo farce continuesThe US government has been accused of "farce" by the lawyer of the last UK resident held at Guantanamo Bay.Clive Stafford Smith says all charges have been dropped against Binyam Mohamed, who was accused of terrorism.However, he says Mr Mohamed, 30, who lived in west London, is set to be charged again within the next month, with new military prosecutors involved...
Prison's drugs 'feeding violence'
Posted on October 21, 2008Prison's drugs 'feeding violence'The drugs problem at London's Brixton prison is so bad it is undermining treatment programmes and feeding violence, the jail watchdog has warned.One thing is for sure, Paul Boateng can no longer be accused of adding to the problem by the supplying of drugs to some of Brixton's inmates...
Mouldy old dough
Posted on October 21, 2008Mouldy old doughI got caught out with this last year with a packet of peanuts from Tesco and the use by date expired in November."In Glasgow, a pack of six Classics for Christmas mince pies had a best before date of November 17".I don't accept the M&S explanation that people like to buy and eat these in the run up to Christmas...
Lockerbie bomber battling 'advanced' cancer
Posted on October 21, 2008Lockerbie bomber battling 'advanced' cancerAbdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi was diagnosed with prostate cancer after hospital tests last month and the disease has spread to other parts of his body, solicitor Tony Kelly said.The former Libyan intelligence agent, 56, is serving a life sentence with a minimum term of 27 years for the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 in 1988 which led to the deaths of 270 people.
Court Jester
Posted on October 21, 2008Court JesterWoman, 89, arrested for keeping ball kicked into her garden An elderly woman has been arrested for petty theft in America after she allegedly refused to give back a ball that a child had kicked into her garden.It's nice to see that it is not just this country where madness prevails with the authorities...
Glasshouse gases
Posted on October 21, 2008Glasshouse gasesOsborne denies seeking donation from oligarchWind. He could have at least said "What yacht?"Cow burps are making a growing contribution to global warmingGreenhouse gases produced by cow burps are growing at a faster rate than the man-made emissions responsible for global warming, according to the latest research.
Lazy bastards MPs
Posted on October 20, 2008Lazy bastards MPsHow come if they work for us, MPs only work for 30 weeks per year and grant themselves 22 weeks holidays?
Blog to highlight domestic abuse
Posted on October 20, 2008Blog to highlight domestic abuseA blog has been created by an assembly member for women to write about their experiences of violence.Called Stories Behind the Stats aims to highlight the severity of the issue.
Too inexperienced judge gave 72 year old cancer sufferer prison term
Posted on October 20, 2008Too inexperienced judge gave 72 year old cancer sufferer prison termRecorder Lesley Anderson QC has no experience of criminal matters, and yet she was allowed to sit in judgment over a criminal trial and cocked it up.A glance at Recorder Lesley Anderson QC's profile shows that in 2006 she took silk and became a recorder in the same year, therefore she gained no experience as a QC in criminal trials before becoming a judge...
Swimming with tigers
Posted on October 20, 2008Swimming with tigersGiven that Hull City FC (The Tigers) are doing swimmingly at present...Traditionally, trainers have struggled to build an attachment with the largest of the big cats, Picture: BARCROFT MEDIABut The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species, or TIGERS, near Miami, claims to have overcome the problem by encouraging both tigers and humans to swim together in a specially adapted pool, Picture: BARCROFT MEDIATigers are known as the best swimmers of all the big cats with modified webbing between their toes to make their feet more like flippers, Picture: BARCROFT MEDIATIGERS claim that the animals love to play in the water, Picture: BARCROFT MEDIAThe hand-reared tigers are introduced to the water a few months after birth and the trainers then give one-on-one tuition to each of the animals while they are in the water, Picture: BARCROFT MEDIAFilled with 100,00 gallons of water, one side of the TIGERS pool is made of glass, so the public can see the handlers and the animals up close swimming togetherPicture: BARCROFT MEDIADespite the apparent danger, the trainers are never at risk...
Iran arrests pigeons 'spying' on nuclear site
Posted on October 20, 2008Iran arrests pigeons 'spying' on nuclear siteIranian security forces have arrested two suspected 'spy pigeons' near the Natanz nuclear facility. One of the pigeons was caught near a rose water production plant in the city of Kashan in Isfahan province, the Etemad Melli newspaper reported...
Why the Commission on English Prisons Today is a waste of time and money
Posted on October 20, 2008Why the Commission on English Prisons Today is a waste of time and moneyDavid Wilson states: "A visit to Norway shows a much more humane approach to crime, reflected in lower prison populations".How much did this visit cost and who paid the bill? Was it value for money or has someone ripped off someone or some organisation? I ask these questions simply because I discovered the same information, if not more, for nothing on the internet and it only took a few minutes of time...
Sleazy Tory Councillor receives £10k for 5 meetings
Posted on October 19, 2008Sleazy Tory Councillor receives £10k for 5 meetingsA prospective parliamentary candidate at the centre of a row over council allowances in Cornwall has stood down.His resignation came amid reports he made more than £10,000 in allowances as a county councillor, despite attending only five meetings in the last year.
Double the money - That's Tesco price
Posted on October 19, 2008Double the money - That's Tesco priceYesterday I bought 2lb of bacon from my local butcher for £5.46, and weighed it when I got home and it was just short of 1kg on the scale. This morning I popped into Tesco Express for some milk, and checked their price for bacon...
Good result good result
Posted on October 19, 2008Good result good resultWest Ham Till I Cry supporter Iain Dale eat your heart out. The Tigers bit the pork squealers on the bum.Hull City FC 1West Ham United 0
Prison: the Scandinavian exception
Posted on October 18, 2008Prison: the Scandinavian exceptionA visit to Norway shows a much more humane approach to crime, reflected in lower prison populations: how do they do it?I'm sitting in Oslo having lunch with the director general of the Norwegian prison service ? Kristin Bolgen Bronebakk ? and we are discussing "Scandinavian exceptionalism"...
Prisoner not the prison to blame
Posted on October 18, 2008Prisoner not the prison to blameI think the Daily Telegraph rather misses the point here latching onto the prosecution's comment to the jury "You may think Kirklevington is more of a holiday camp than a resettlement prison". I am somewhat puzzled why the prosecution felt it necessary to even make the statement...
Commission on English Prisons Today
Posted on October 18, 2008Commission on English Prisons TodayIt isn't immediately obvious from the Commission on English Prisons Today website that this initiative is not government commissioned, but instead is driven by the Howard League. Hence the claim to be an independent commission...
Autumn leaves
Posted on October 18, 2008Autumn leavesVisitors to Westonbirt Arboretum in Gloucestershire enjoy the autumn colours along the trails, Picture: PAGolden colours are reflected in the River Cam in Cambridge as a man punts along the river, Picture: PAThe colours of Autumn surround a bridge in The Garden House, Buckland Monachorum, in Devon, Picture: IRVING OF EXETERA visitor walks through trees towards the pagoda at the Royal Botanic Gardens at KewPicture: PAA woman walks her dog through Burton's Court in Chelsea, Picture: GETTYOrange leaves against a blue sky in Ashton Park, Bristol, Picture: CHRISTOPHER JONESFallen leaves lie on a path by the Thames opposite Canary Wharf, Picture: PAGardeners clear up the fallen autumn leaves in Green Park, London, Picture: PAA woman takes in the view from Primrose Hill in London, Picture: JANE MINGAYSunlight catches leaves on trees as the early morning mist lingers in a valley near Bath, Picture: PAA deer cools off in Bushy Park, Richmond, Picture: PATwo hedgehogs, who were rescued as babies, play in autumn leaves in TwickenhamPicture: CLARA MOLDENA squirrel amongst the fallen leaves in Calderstones Park, Liverpool, picture:PA
Tory elephant in the room
Posted on October 17, 2008Tory elephant in the roomMy initial reaction was that the search involved looking for Dave's policies. However, on the other hand...If anyone can find George Osborne, tell him his country needs him
Police clash with police in Brazil violence
Posted on October 17, 2008Police clash with police in Brazil violenceStriking police officers were embroiled in a mass-melee with hundreds of their own colleagues in riot gear who policed their protest, amid bizarre scenes in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo.The clashes between state police and plainclothes investigators last night came after the demonstrators tried to break through a barrier protecting the state government palace...
You cannot sue God... he has no known address
Posted on October 17, 2008You cannot sue God... he has no known addressAn American politician's attempt to sue God has been thrown out of court after a judge ruled the suit could not be served because the Almighty has an unlisted address.Ernie Chambers, a Nebraska state senator, sought a "permanent injunction" that ordered God to stop causing "widespread death, destruction and terrorisation of millions upon millions of the Earth's inhabitants"...
Somalia the under reported war
Posted on October 16, 2008Somalia the under reported war."Mark Doyle gains rare access to the Somalian capital of Mogadishu, the epicentre of the violence in the country.The United Nations says it is probably the most difficult place in the world for humanitarian workers to operate in - where three million people are in dire need of aid"...
Prison restaurant offers gourmet meals cooked by convicts
Posted on October 16, 2008Prison restaurant offers gourmet meals cooked by convictsA restaurant will offer a captivating dining experience by offering gourmet food in prison cooked and served by inmates. Diners must hand over valuables, undergo a body search and pass through several reinforced steel doors to before being seated at Britain's newest gastronomic venture...
Prisoner guilty of murder order
Posted on October 16, 2008Prisoner guilty of murder orderAn inmate has been found guilty of ordering a murder from his cell using a mobile phone smuggled into the prison.Irony of ironies..."At the time, he had been on remand at the jail on an unrelated matter of which he was later found not guilty".
The Big Picture photography competition: round 24
Posted on October 16, 2008The Big Picture photography competition: round 24This week's winner is Lewis Outing from Woodthorpe, York for this moody landscape facing south from Cullernose Point near Howick on the Northumbrian coast.A temple is framed by the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in Lijiang, China...
Don't abandon a real pup buy a toy dog instead
Posted on October 16, 2008Don't abandon a real pup buy a toy dog insteadI found a puppy that had been abandoned in Pearson Park this morning when I took Rocky for his walk. It was curled up and trembling. I thought about the saying that 'a dog is for life not just for Christmas'...
In the face of perversity
Posted on October 15, 2008In the face of perversityA 34-year-old man who has lived in London for three decades is to be deported to Somalia after a judge said his criminal record qualified him to survive in the war-torn country.There is something perverse about attempting to deport someone who has lived in this country sine he was 4 years of age, and is now 34...
Work a four letter swear word
Posted on October 15, 2008Work a four letter swear wordI have a brief to write 4 executive summaries of 4 Prison Service Orders for Inside Time - The National Newspaper for Prisoners. They are PSOs 2000 adjudications, 4000 incentives and earned privileges, 4275 time in the open air, and 4411 prisoner communications - correspondance (sic Prison Service misspelling)...
Long arm of the law...
Posted on October 14, 2008Long arm of the law...Man arrested over rape 28 years agoDetectives armed with new forensic evidence arrested a man today in connection with the rape of a teenage girl 28 years ago.A 62-year-old man was arrested at his home in Swanscombe, Kent, by officers from Thames Valley Police...
It's for you...
Posted on October 14, 2008It's for you...IMHO I would say that the car is actually stationary when this photograph was actually taken.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith comes out with a one liner
Posted on October 14, 2008Home Secretary Jacqui Smith comes out with a one linerThe Home Secretary said the one-line bill could be rushed through Parliament in a matter of hours in the event of a terrorist attack.If it wasn't so serious it would be a joke...
Lazy dog walker earns Great North Bum title
Posted on October 14, 2008Lazy dog walker earns Great North Bum titleA father has been named one of the laziest men in Britain for walking his pet dog while sitting in his car. Kevin Pyle, 35, gets his son to drive him slowly around the block and, with his arm stretched out of the window, holds a lead attached to his bull mastiff Bruce, who walks alongside...
Hapless shoelace burglar jailed
Posted on October 14, 2008Hapless shoelace burglar jailedA hapless burglar found hanging upside down from a window by his shoelaces has been jailed for three years.I don't believe that a £20 a day heroin habit is really a habit at all. For his lawyer to claim he "needed" the money for drugs and alcohol is incorrect, he wanted it is more like...
'Secret inquests' plans dropped
Posted on October 14, 2008'Secret inquests' plans droppedMinisters have dropped plans which would have allowed coroners' inquests to be held in private.The government will not pursue a clause in its controversial counter-terrorism bill to allow inquests to be held in private due to "national security"...
Is Lord West a traitor to the House of Lords?
Posted on October 14, 2008Is Lord West a traitor to the House of Lords?It does appear as though Lord West is the puppet of Jacqui Smith.Create the climate of fear in order to pass oppressive and repressive legislation.It does not sit comfortably Lord West sat both in the House of Lords and on the lap of the Home Secretary.
NHS trust to buy £400,000 yacht
Posted on October 14, 2008NHS trust to buy £400,000 yachtA health trust is planning to spend £400,000 on a 72ft yacht to help jobless teenagers make better "lifestyle choices". Hull Teaching Primary Care Trust is behind the scheme designed to help improve the long-term health prospects of teenagers.
Just answer me this
Posted on October 13, 2008Just answer me thisGovernment to press ahead with 42-day detention plan
School bans sugar in tea
Posted on October 13, 2008School bans sugar in tea Children at a secondary school have been told they cannot have sugar in their tea because of concern about healthy eating.Just another brick in the wall...
Mojo Radio is music to my ears
Posted on October 13, 2008Mojo Radio is music to my earsI don't usually go in for advertising on this blog. However, I feel that Mojo Radio deserves a plug. If you're an oldie and into 60s and 70s music it should appeal to you. The woofer on the floor beneath my desk vibrates a deep bass up my feet to reach parts other radio stations fail to reach.
Money and the lack of and Red Cross food parcels etc
Posted on October 13, 2008Money and the lack of and Red Cross food parcels etcI feel like a prisoner of war in this war on want. Yesterday afternoon RonKnee arrived at the door with a couple of Red Cross food parcels (two shopping bags). Rocky did his bark cum whine, 'quick open the door I know he he has brought me some treats and gives me a fuss'...
Menezes officer changed evidence
Posted on October 13, 2008Menezes officer changed evidenceAn investigation has begun after an officer admitted changing evidence during the inquest into the death of Jean Charles de Menezes.The Special Branch officer, named as Owen, said he deleted a line from computer notes which quoted Deputy Assistant Commissioner Cressida Dick...
What a Carry On Jacqui...
Posted on October 13, 2008What a Carry On Jacqui...I'm celebrating with a spliff and a can of beer...Peers throw out 42-day detentionThe government's plans to extend terror detention limits to 42 days have been heavily defeated in the House of Lords.Peers voted to keep the current 28-day limit on pre-charge detentions by 309 votes to 118 - a majority of 191...
Pointy things
Posted on October 12, 2008Pointy thingsA judge has ordered the Crown Prosecution Service to make a public apology to a gardener who was arrested and taken to court for carrying a scythe which he said he needed for his work."Peter Drew, 49, a self employed ground clearance contractor, had the scythe and other bladed tools in his work van when he was stopped by police on his way to a job in Penzance, Cornwall"...
What does Palin and car wreck have in common?
Posted on October 11, 2008What does Palin and car wreck have in common?Sarah Palin 'unlawfully abused power' in feud with state tooper, report finds
Financial crisis and Animal pictures of the week
Posted on October 11, 2008Financial crisis and Animal pictures of the weekThis picture says it all...Animal pictures of the weekSibu, an orangutan, returns to Dublin Zoo after seven years in Rhenen, the Netherlands. He was on-loan to the Dutch zoo for a breeding programme... Picture: PA...
It's not all doom and gloom
Posted on October 10, 2008It's not all doom and gloomAnd a rare white lion thrown in to boot...Guyana: Raw, bountiful and untouchedEgrets wade among the giant Victoria Amazonica lilies along the RupununiPicture: Nigel TisdallOrinduik Falls, on the Brazilian border, is ideal for a cooling swim in waters pouring over cliffs of pink jasperPicture: Nigel TisdallOne of the beautiful, delicate white flowers sprouting from the lilies' six-foot-wide leavesPicture: Nigel TisdallGuyana's southwest corner is home to the Rupununi, with bewitching savannahs speckled with huge cattle ranches and wetlandsPicture: Nigel TisdalManatees swim in the ponds of Georgetown's Botanical GardensPicture: Nigel TisdallWhite lions are highly visible to prey and attractive for game hunters and therefore extremely rare in the wild Photo: NEWSTEAM
3 of the best
Posted on October 10, 20083 of the bestA traditional butcher has been banned from chopping meat in the morning because residents complain he makes too much noise.What is it about Barking mad magistrates? Perhaps a solution would be to rent out the flat above the shop to someone who is hard of hearing or stone deaf? A gardener who fenced off his allotment patch with a single strand of barbed wire to protect it from thieves has been ordered to take it down in case intruders hurt themselves...
I must get out more
Posted on October 10, 2008I must get out moreBBC radio presenters suspended after mocking disabled people"Andrew Hawes and Ian Hart have been taken off the airwaves at BBC Southern Counties after using the term "window licker" during a football phone-in show.Action was taken after Mr Hart told a football fan to "go and lick a window" during a row about Mickey Adams the manager of Brighton and Hove Albion...
Boris Johnson blackmailed Sir Ian Blair into resigning
Posted on October 10, 2008Boris Johnson blackmailed Sir Ian Blair into resigningHome Office minister Lord West of Spithead said Mr Johnson had threatened to tell the media he had no confidence in Sir Ian unless he resigned.He told peers at question time: "As I understand it, the mayor said to the commissioner: 'If you don't go I will find someone to ask me a question, with the media there, as to whether I have confidence in you and if they do I will say I haven't'".
Family call for tougher sentence
Posted on October 10, 2008Family call for tougher sentenceThe family of a Teesside man who died after a street attack are petitioning for a tougher sentence for his killer.Gavin Robinson hit his head on the pavement when he was punched to the ground in Thornaby in June. The 30-year-old later died in hospital...
Muslim gangs 'force inmates to convert'
Posted on October 10, 2008Muslim gangs 'force inmates to convert'Muslim prison gangs are trying to force other inmates to sign up to Islamic radicalism, prison officers said.Extremists at high security HMP Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire were pushing a "strict and extreme" interpretation of Islamic practice, inspectors were told...
Paedophile found murdered
Posted on October 10, 2008Paedophile found murderedPolice were today investigating the murder of a paedophile whose body was dumped in woodland.Gordon Boon, 73, of Norwich, was found dead in Great Witchingham, Norfolk, on Monday.Post mortem tests found he died from strangulation, police said...
Over the top
Posted on October 09, 2008Over the topThe family of a 101-year-old woman being forced to move from a care home have said they will consider taking further legal action if she dies.I am aware that moving house tends to be a stressful experience. I have no knowledge why the council decided to close this particular care home...
It's not an Ealing comedy it's a scandal
Posted on October 09, 2008It's not an Ealing comedy it's a scandalMother gets £170,000 a year in benefits to live in £1.2m houseI am shocked by the above headline. To be fair, I am not aware of all the details. For example, there is no mention of a man about the house such as a Mr Saindi, is Mrs Saindi a single mother? Apparently, she "came to the UK from Afghanistan seven years ago"...
Woman kept prisoner at home by her own husband for 50 years
Posted on October 09, 2008Woman kept prisoner at home by her own husband for 50 yearsA woman in Italy was kept a prisoner in her own home by her husband for 50 years, police have revealed."The wife was only allowed out of the house when accompanied by him, and was not allowed to speak with anyone else...
Up the spout
Posted on October 09, 2008Up the spoutVolcanoes 'reload' with magma, making them more difficult to predict
Mouse bites snake to death
Posted on October 09, 2008Mouse bites snake to deathA mouse bit a venomous viper to death after it was thrown into the snake's cage as a lunchtime snack.
Boris Johnson dreams up madcap scheme for 2012 London Games
Posted on October 09, 2008Boris Johnson dreams up madcap scheme for 2012 London GamesBoris Johnson paused for breath, as he practiced the sport of trowel waving in readiness for the 2012 London Olympics, to announce that spectators will each be given a hand held TV to follow the events...
Cross-legged cabbies face loo ban
Posted on October 08, 2008Cross-legged cabbies face loo banA Darlington taxi driver says he is prepared to go to jail rather than accept a 160-year-old law banning him from leaving his cab to spend a penny.Perhaps it is time that this piece of legislation is consigned to history and let it stay there?
Drugs and violence rife at prison
Posted on October 08, 2008Drugs and violence rife at prisonA culture of hard drugs and violence remains rife at a Cheshire prison where gang members are recruited with £50 cash incentives, an inspection found.
Gales of laughter as the Tories are full of wind
Posted on October 08, 2008Gales of laughter as the Tories are full of windI am rather puzzled why the Telegraph is reporting that The Conservative party have promised to end Labour's policy of allowing criminals to automatically walk out of jail early. Given that it appears to be a rehash of the article in the post below with just a different headline...
'Crippled' prisons risk violence
Posted on October 07, 2008'Crippled' prisons risk violenceThe president of the Prison Governors Association is to warn of a "serious risk" of disturbances in jails because of a shortage of resources.According to Paul Tidball, prisons in England and Wales are in a "crippling, vicious circle"...
Amur tigers join Europe's biggest tiger enclosure at the Highland Wildlife Park
Posted on October 07, 2008Amur tigers join Europe's biggest tiger enclosure at the Highland Wildlife ParkYuri and Sasha, two Amur tigers, formerly known as Siberian tigers, have arrived at Europe's biggest tiger enclosure at the Highland Wildlife Park near Kingussie, ScotlandPicture: GETTYHundreds turned out to welcome the pair to their new home, where it is hoped they will continue to breed after having bred six cubs at Edinburgh Zoo, their previous homePicture: REUTERSThe public were given their first glimpse of the two big cats during their feeding timePicture: GETTYThey fed off meat hung 12 feet in the air, and appeared to settle in immediately to their new homePicture: GETTYEight members of staff were required to carry in each sedated animal, which can weigh up to 318kgPicture: GETTYTheir arrival at the wildlife park prompted a need for extra training for the tiger handlers and the requirement for gun licences, a necessity when dealing with the large felinesPicture: GETTYIt is felt that the addition of the rare tigers will raise the profile of the wildlife parkPicture: GETTYDespite the wild population of Amur tigers being the best it has been since before World War II, the creatures still face the serious threat of extinctionPicture: GETTYThere are currently 500 Amur tigers remaining in the world, it is believed the park can offer a sanctuary in which the tigers can breed and assist in conserving their speciesPicture: GETTYThe Amur tiger is now only found around the Amur river valley in Russia...
Tory prison plans are a pie in the sky
Posted on October 07, 2008Tory prison plans are a pie in the skyApparently if the Tories get into power, they say they will pay prison governors thousands of pounds in bonuses just for doing their jobs."Under the Conservatives' plans, each Governor would be responsible for either a single prison or a 'cluster' of local prisons and would be in charge of "end-to-end" offender management, both in and out of prison"...
Judge orders Chinese Muslims released from Guantanamo in US
Posted on October 07, 2008Judge orders Chinese Muslims released from Guantanamo in USA US judge has for the first time ordered the controversial release of Guantanamo Bay detainees in the United States in a rebuke to the Bush administration.District Judge Ricardo Urbina ordered that 17 Chinese Muslims should be freed by Friday...
Nacro join the prison business
Posted on October 06, 2008Nacro join the prison businessBy: Ben Gunn - HMP Shepton MalletBen Gunn is concerned at Nacro leaping into bed with the private sector and considers their moral compass has gone astray.You know you have those mad dreams, or drug-fuelled fantasies, in which reality is twisted to offer an alternative? Where some dolly-bird Governor brings you breakfast in bed, dressed as a French maid? Or where the Home Secretary appears, in sack-cloth and ashes, apologising for being such a total arse and opens the gate for you? That's just how I felt, when I heard that Nacro was leaping into a big fluffy financial bed with that shady conglomerate that is nowadays called ?G4S?...
Rare white lion cubs born
Posted on October 06, 2008Rare white lion cubs bornThree rare white lion cubs have been born near South Africa's Kruger National park. The number of white lions being born in the wild has dwindled significantly over the last 16 years.News of the latest births will be announced by the Global White Lion Protection Trust at an event in London on Friday...
42 days detention plan to be scrapped
Posted on October 06, 200842 days detention plan to be scrapped42-day detention dropped as unworkableGordon Brown is preparing for a humiliating climbdown over his proposal to hold terrorist suspects for 42 days after being told that it will be defeated in the House of Lords.Ministers admit privately that there is not ?a cat in Hell?s chance? of the legislation, which returns to the Lords this week, being passed into law...
Lawyers turn to drink and drugs
Posted on October 06, 2008Lawyers turn to drink and drugsLawyers are turning to drink and drugs to combat long hours and stress, new research has shown."A survey to be published this week shows that alcohol abuse is commonplace and the use of hard drugs, such as cocaine, is more and more widespread among those in the profession...
Ming to stage leadership come back?
Posted on October 06, 2008Ming to stage leadership come back?A gathering of Ming's loyal supporters
Pictures of the day: 6 October 2008
Posted on October 06, 2008Pictures of the day: 6 October 2008A sea lion named Cookie controls a plastic pumpkin during a show at the Shinagawa Aquarium in TokyoPicture: APA polar bear plays with a special ball in a pond at the Budapest Zoo...Picture: EPA...The polar bears received a tooth- and claw-proof ball to mark World Animal DayPicture: EPADogs are taken out by their owners for a parade to mark World Animal Day in Kielce, PolandPicture: EPAA baby elephant and two females walk out of the bush for their annual 'gathering' at the banks of the Minneriya reservoir, in Sri LankaPicture: AFP/GETTY
Isle of Skye: On the shores of Loch Coruisk
Posted on October 06, 2008Isle of Skye: On the shores of Loch CoruiskIt's not just the sheer beauty of Skye's most magical loch that leaves Antonia Quirke gasping for breath.
Andrew Marr suffers from corpus interruptus
Posted on October 05, 2008Andrew Marr suffers from corpus interruptusThe Andrew Marr show was on half hour early today because of the Great North Run. I found myself swearing and shouting at him because he has picked up the annoying habit of asking a question and continually interrupting his guests answers...
Cute photos
Posted on October 05, 2008Cute photosA tiny baby Muntjac deer which was delivered three weeks early by Caesarean section at a wildlife hospital in Buckinghamshire after his mother was hit by a carPicture: JEFF MOOREA barrow-load of orphaned baby orangutans at the Nyaru Menteng Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre in Indonesian BorneoPicture: BARCROFT
Once, twice, three times a Lordy
Posted on October 04, 2008Once, twice, three times a LordyPeter Mandelson says return to Cabinet is 'third time lucky'
Did you say news or snooze?
Posted on October 04, 2008Did you say news or snooze?According to The Society of Editors "The big stories of the past year: the McCanns, Prince Harry and the Credit Crunch. Did we get the balance right?".I am mystified why Prince Harry is thought to be one of the three big stories of the year...
Girls Aloud in 'murder' blog case
Posted on October 03, 2008Girls Aloud in 'murder' blog caseA civil servant is being prosecuted over an internet blog which detailed the kidnap, torture and murder of the pop group Girls Aloud.
Boris the thief gets rid of police chief
Posted on October 03, 2008Boris the thief gets rid of police chiefCould it just be that this is the reason why Boris sought his revenge against Sir Ian Blair?
Tunnel of Death (Lefortovo Tunnel, Russia)
Posted on October 03, 2008Tunnel of Death (Lefortovo Tunnel, Russia)Crazy intersection in russia. Nice mix))
Eta prisoner freed for fertility treatment
Posted on October 03, 2008Eta prisoner freed for fertility treatmentA convicted member of Basque separatist group Eta has been released from prison in order to undergo fertility treatment. Elena Beloki, 47, was sentenced to 13 years in jail last November for belonging to the terrorist group, which has killed more than 800 people in a four decade struggle for an independent Basque homeland encompassing parts of northern Spain and southwestern France...
Ripping up 'red tape' and regulations
Posted on October 02, 2008Ripping up 'red tape' and regulationsForm filling, giving out personal details, call centres, closed-circuit television - if any of these bug bears get your goat then you might want to join the FART Club.The club (Fight Against Red Tape) has been started by a group of middle-Englanders, all claiming to be fed up to the back teeth with the trials and seemingly endless delays that go along with modern day living...
Million more suffer fuel poverty
Posted on October 02, 2008Million more suffer fuel povertyThe number of households in fuel poverty in the UK rose to 3.5 million in 2006, government figures show.This is an increase of one million on 2005 levels.The figure includes around 2.75 million homes classed as "vulnerable" -containing a child, elderly person or someone with a long-term illness...
Poet dead for 200 years told to pay TV licence
Posted on October 02, 2008Poet dead for 200 years told to pay TV licenceFriedrich Schiller, one of Germany's favourite poets and playwrights, has received reminders to pay his television licence - despite having been dead since 1805. Two notices were delivered by GEZ, a licence-collecting agency, which threatened to mount legal action against the literary hero, who is best known for his poem Ode to Joy, which was put to music by Beethoven, unless he quickly settled his monthly ?17 (£14) bill...
Sir Ian Blair to quit Scotland Yard
Posted on October 02, 2008Sir Ian Blair to quit Scotland Yard"The Daily Telegraph understands that Sir Ian was facing possible suspension from office over an investigation into the awarding of £3 million worth of lucrative Met police contracts to a friend and skiing companion"...
Four on run from detention centre
Posted on October 01, 2008Four on run from detention centreFour immigrants have gone on the run after escaping from a detention camp via a network of pipes.he Vietnamese men broke out of the Oakington Immigration Centre in Longstanton, Cambridgeshire.They are believed to have cut through razor wire fences after crawling through a metal service duct similar to those used for air conditioning...
Council of Europe report criticises 42-day detention
Posted on October 01, 2008Council of Europe report criticises 42-day detention? Plan could breach human rights legislation? Separate report criticises conditions for detainees"The government's plans to extend to 42 days the time limit for detention without charge will receive a further blow today from the Council of Europe...
Senior police officers suspended over 'wine theft'
Posted on October 01, 2008Senior police officers suspended over 'wine theft'Two senior police officers have been suspended after being arrested on suspicion of stealing wine from a Marks and Spencer store, it was revealed today.Detective Chief Inspector Jim Torbet and Chief Inspector Sharon Rowe, of Sussex Police, were freed on bail pending further inquiries by their own force...
British Justice or the Sun justice?
Posted on October 01, 2008British Justice or the Sun justice?The Sun claims that Britain is broken, and that it can be fixed by stripping people of their human rights.Even Hitler did not manage to break Britain during World War 2. So, I don't need Murdoch spreading such lies now...
Full Scale Security Review Underway in Prison Service
Posted on October 01, 2008Full Scale Security Review Underway in Prison ServiceBreaking NewsIt is understood that a full scale security alert has been launched by the Prison Service. A reliable source has stated that Phil Wheatley, Director General of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS), emailed Steve Wagstaffe, Director of High Security, who's sphere of influence covers Security Group; Security Policy Unit; Extremism Unit; Police Advisors Section; National Operations Unit; and National Intelligence Unit...
Investigation into claims of abuse on asylum-seekers
Posted on September 30, 2008Investigation into claims of abuse on asylum-seekersClaims by hundreds of asylum-seekers that they have been beaten or abused by British guards during their detention and removal from this country are to be independently investigated for the first time, The Independent has learnt...
Russian jet flies within 90 seconds of Hull
Posted on September 30, 2008Russian jet flies within 90 seconds of HullA Russian nuclear bomber managed to get within 90 seconds of Hull in a mock attack as RAF radars failed to pick it up. "The supersonic Blackjack changed course 20 miles from UK airspace, it has been reported...
Why Cameron is heading for a slip up
Posted on September 30, 2008Why Cameron is heading for a slip upI reported earlier that delegates attending the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham were given a banana...Could one of them have been careless, or it being Bob Piper's neck of the woods has he been up to mischief?
Damages for parents in care case
Posted on September 30, 2008Damages for parents in care caseA British couple whose two-month-old daughter was taken into care after a "misguided" suspicion of abuse have been awarded £8,000 in compensation.The European Court of Human Rights ruled their rights had been infringed because they had no legal redress for the loss of their child...
Bananadrama
Posted on September 30, 2008BananadramaPhoto opportunity set up...Photo opportunity slip up
Alien from another planet gives a speech at the Tory party conference
Posted on September 30, 2008Alien from another planet gives a speech at the Tory party conferenceThis comedian thinks he is at the Edinburgh Fringe instead of being on the fringe at the Tory Party conference. If he was an important player he would have been on the main stage. "The speech of the week so far has been from Nick Herbert (well, of the ones I have seen, anyway)...
Gurkhas win High Court battle to stay in UK
Posted on September 30, 2008Gurkhas win High Court battle to stay in UKGurkhas who fought alongside the British Army have won their battle to settle in the UK following a High Court test case. "The result was welcomed by actress Joanna Lumley, whose late father served with the 6th Gurkha Rifles, as a chance to "right a great wrong and wipe out a national shame that has stained us all"...
Call me Mister
Posted on September 30, 2008Call me MisterI'll not mince my words. Mr Linsay Hoyle MP is a Labour Tosser. I must admit that I had not heard of him. Until today, that is. Apparently, he has spat his dummy out over a newspaper report Prison staff are being made to address inmates, including sex offenders and violent criminals, as "Mr"...
Court jester
Posted on September 29, 2008Court jesterFreedom & the Internet2pm-3.30pmAustin Court HotelFreedom ZoneChair: Iain Dale. Speakers: Guido Fawkes, Phil Hendren, Chris Mounsey, Nadine DorriesSome of these comments are amusing and Iain Dale, he of the freedom of the internet fame, has graciously left comment moderation off...
Let them eat cake
Posted on September 29, 2008Let them eat cakeBradfordBingleyGordon Brown's had his boom, now he's bust says David Cameron"David Cameron pinned the blame for Britain's economic crisis on Gordon Brown yesterday as his party countered Labour's claims about who was best placed to guide the country through troubled times"...
23 votes sinks the $700bn bail out
Posted on September 29, 200823 votes sinks the $700bn bail outA White House spokesman said that President George W Bush was "very disappointed" by the vote's result.As if reading from the same script...Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said the voting down of a $700bn (£380bn) bill in the US aimed at bailing out Wall Street was "very disappointing".
Tory Party delegates go ape over bananas
Posted on September 29, 2008Tory Party delegates go ape over bananasBananas, with a sticker of Labour's foreign secretary David Miliband on them, are given away to delegates at the Conservative Party conferencePicture: GETTYThe delegates at the Conservative Party conference
Arsenal Wenger sick as a parrot over Hull City victory
Posted on September 29, 2008Arsenal Wenger sick as a parrot over Hull City victoryArsenal manager Arsene Wenger claims his team's Premier League defeat against Hull on Saturday left him feeling physically sick.
Gary Glitter banned from travelling to France and Spain
Posted on September 29, 2008Gary Glitter banned from travelling to France and SpainGary Glitter has been banned from travelling to France and Spain, after police applied to the courts for a prevention order.He is free to travel. They are free to refuse him entry into their countries...
Stolen Playstation games taken again from police depot
Posted on September 29, 2008Stolen Playstation games taken again from police depotThieves launched a raid worthy of Grand Theft Auto when they reclaimed confiscated Playstation 3 games from a secure police depot just hours after they were seized.Obviously it wasn't "secure"...
Sniper kills prisoner from outside jail
Posted on September 29, 2008Sniper kills prisoner from outside jailA sniper in France has shot dead a prisoner from a hill outside the compound, in the first such murder in French prison history.I recall there was a helicopter escape from a prison in France, and then there was the helicopter escape from Gartree prison in Leicestershire...
Heron catches rabbit: Dramatic photos
Posted on September 29, 2008Heron catches rabbit: Dramatic photos"Enjoying a leisurely wade in the waters of the Dutch undergrowth this grey heron decided to go in search of lunch when he came across this unsuspecting black rabbit.Undeterred by its size, the grey heron, the largest bird of its kind in Europe, swooped down and gobbled the rabbit up in one mouthful, as these pictures show"...
Cadbury recalls Chinese chocolates over contamination fears
Posted on September 29, 2008Cadbury recalls Chinese chocolates over contamination fearsCadbury, the British sweet maker, has recalled all its China-made chocolates after tests "cast doubt" on their safety.If Cadbury is a British sweet maker how come it is making them in China for the British market? Profiting out of poisoning kids? It's a scandal...
A pair of wank managers...
Posted on September 28, 2008A pair of wank managers......as Jonathan Ross would say.Hat-Tip to RonKnee.
Inmate assaults Darwin in prison
Posted on September 28, 2008Inmate assaults Darwin in prisonBack-from-the-dead canoeist John Darwin has been assaulted in prison.The 58-year-old former prison warden, from Teesside, was attacked by a prisoner after being moved in September to Everthorpe jail in East Yorkshire.
Revealed: the Conservatives' secret millions
Posted on September 28, 2008Revealed: the Conservatives' secret millionsAll credit to the BBC cameraman on the Andrew Marr Show who gave us a shot from Birmingham showing a sign saying Conservatives and beneath this it said phony Hall. I think it sums it upAs Andrew Marr announced he would be speaking live to David Cameron, I realised I had more important things to do...
New mental health powers threaten rights, claim lawyers
Posted on September 28, 2008New mental health powers threaten rights, claim lawyersLawyers are lining up to challenge the legality of the new Mental Health Act as fears about the imminent new powers grow among patients."People in England and Wales deserve a mental health law based on civil liberties rather than one based on 1950s principles of locking people up".
Pearson Park up for sale?
Posted on September 28, 2008Pearson Park up for sale?I can reveal that the cash strapped LibDem controlled Hull City Council are secretly planning to sell off Pearson Park...Either that or some drunken revellers decided to play a prank last night.
Prison for 'crime show' burglar
Posted on September 27, 2008Prison for 'crime show' burglarA prolific burglar who admitted committing nearly 400 robberies in Nottinghamshire has been given a 12-year jail sentence.More here."Police said they first spotted a pattern to a series of burglaries at well-secured houses more than four years ago...
Asbo OAP 'will appeal home ban'
Posted on September 27, 2008Asbo OAP 'will appeal home ban'An 82-year-old pensioner banned from her home after being handed a second antisocial behaviour order is set to appeal, her daughter has insisted.I find it hard to accept that the only remedy is an either or solution "The judge said the only alternative to the order would be a lengthy prison sentence".
Council 'quacks down' over prison threat letter
Posted on September 27, 2008Council 'quacks down' over prison threat letterApology for duck feed jail threatA council has apologised after threatening elderly residents with eviction and even prison for feeding ducks outside their homes.More here.I should imagine that the council letter had the effect of terrorising OAPs more effectively than Osama Bin Laden...
'It's better that 10 guilty men go free than one innocent man be wrongly convicted'
Posted on September 27, 2008'It's better that 10 guilty men go free than one innocent man be wrongly convicted'Judges should order more retrials over unsafe convictions, says criminal review chiefThe country's top appeal judges are failing to correct miscarriages of justice where they suspect the jury has come to a wrong verdict, the head of the body charged with investigating wrongful convictions has warned...
Kiefer Sutherland: how prison changed me
Posted on September 27, 2008Kiefer Sutherland: how prison changed meKiefer Sutherland found stardom as 24?s Jack Bauer, but years of hellraising culminated in him spending last Christmas in an LA prisonIt is, perhaps, to Kiefer Sutherland?s great credit (and also rather ironic) that even though his latest film is called Mirrors, he isn?t a fan of them...
Hull City kicks them up the Arsenal
Posted on September 27, 2008Hull City kicks them up the ArsenalArsenal relinquished top spot in the Premier League as Hull came from behind to pull off a sensational 2-1 win at the Emirates Stadium.A Paul McShane own goal, five minutes after the break, gave the hosts the lead but Geovanni equalised 12 minutes later with a stunning strike before Daniel Cousin headed home the winner after 66 minutes...
Cool Hand Luke has escaped
Posted on September 27, 2008Cool Hand Luke has escapedPaul Newman, who has died aged 83, was a Hollywood actor of true star quality, who remained at the top of his profession for more than 40 years.
How to cut your energy bills
Posted on September 27, 2008How to cut your energy bills"Householders will have to economise on lighting and heating as fuel bills soar this winter - and the Government's new package will do little to help".Gordon Brown unveiled plans to help households with rising energy bills but many experts warn people not to put their trust in politicians and to act now to beat the winter blues...
Bloggers given new Ten Commandments by church leaders
Posted on September 27, 2008Bloggers given new Ten Commandments by church leadersTen commandments for bloggers:1 You shall not put your blog before your integrity2 You shall not make an idol of your blog3 You shall not misuse your screen name by using your anonymity to sin4 Remember the Sabbath day by taking one day off a week from your blog5 Honour your fellow-bloggers above yourselves and do not give undue significance to their mistakes6 You shall not murder someone else's honour, reputation or feelings7 You shall not use the web to commit or permit adultery in your mind8 You shall not steal another person's content9 You shall not give false testimony against your fellow-blogger10 You shall not covet your neighbour's blog ranking...
Thank heaven for little girls?
Posted on September 26, 2008Thank heaven for little girls?It is not surprising that the Evangelist Tony Alamo has caused the authorities in America to be concerned. It would appear that no young girl is safe in his company when he expresses this view "Consent is puberty".In spite of the seriousness of the story, I allowed myself a little laugh when I discovered that Tony Alamo's organisation the Christian Ministries has its HQ in a place called tiny Fouke, Arkansas.
So fucking what?
Posted on September 26, 2008So fucking what?Cleric Omar Bakri?s daughter is a pole dancerI would question this story's newsworthiness for The Sun. Even more questionable that The Daily Telegraph has been raking in the gutter to find and print this story.Exclusive: Next week, radical cleric's daughter's great aunt has a wart on her bum.
Tories form a knitting circle
Posted on September 26, 2008Tories form a knitting circleI could not but help notice from some of the Tory blogs that the Tory Party has launched a new website and has also launched a new blog. Apparently, The Blue Blog name was chosen following a competition. Full marks go for originality...
20 best animal photos
Posted on September 25, 200820 best animal photosLions, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. By Matt Copin of Maidstone, Kent Galapagos Sea Lion. By Jim MacDonald of Andover, Hants Butterfly in Borneo. By June Hindley of Northwich, CheshireDusky Dolphin off coast of Kaikoura, South Island, New Zealand...
Immigrant Detector card scheme
Posted on September 25, 2008Immigrant Detector card scheme"Ministers argue that the cards will prevent illegal immigration and employment because border officials and employers will be able to check what a migrant is entitled to".In South Africa the system of apartheid was an extension of Nazi racial method and Jacqui Smith's ID card scheme is an extension of apartheid.
Prison treats over 18 as kids and under 18 as adults
Posted on September 25, 2008Prison treats over 18 as kids and under 18 as adultsThe issue here is not whether prisoners should be allowed playstations. Rather, there are two side issues. The first relates to the issue of Prison Service Instruction 32/08. It advises prison governors that only those prisoners who are at enhanced level may have playstations and console games...
Burma activist freed from jail after 19 years vows to fight on
Posted on September 24, 2008Burma activist freed from jail after 19 years vows to fight onOne of Burma's most prominent political detainees, U Win Tin, was freed from jail yesterday after 19 years' imprisonment, and vowed to continue the fight for democracy in the country.The ailing journalist, one of Burma's longest-serving political detainees, was one of the founders of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD)...
White Rabbit tries to poison kiddies
Posted on September 24, 2008White Rabbit tries to poison kiddiesI am not sure that Andrew Keogh, White Rabbit, should be moonlighting as a sweet manufacturer. It would appear that this venture makes the Pied Piper of Hamlyn look like a saint. The man is a scoundrel, a cad, a bounder etc, etc...
Dutch cannabis smoker fined - for using tobacco
Posted on September 24, 2008Dutch cannabis smoker fined - for using tobaccoA man was fined by the Dutch police for smoking a cannabis joint but only because it was mixed with tobacco.While the Netherlands has kept its liberal policy on the smoking of cannabis in the country's legendary "coffee shops", zero tolerance is now shown to tobacco smokers in Dutch cafes and restaurants after a smoking came ban came into force last July...
On reflection
Posted on September 24, 2008On reflectionA white tiger relaxes in water at the zoological park in Hyderabad, IndiaPicture: AP
Prison by numbers
Posted on September 23, 2008Prison by numbersThis year's prison population projections are the first sign that the relentless rise in the prison population is slowingNew prison population projections, published by the Ministry of Justice but quality-assured by the UK Statistics Authority, estimate that by June 2015 between 83,400 and 95,800 people will be in prison in England and Wales...
Malaysian blogger jailed for 2 years
Posted on September 23, 2008Malaysian blogger jailed for 2 years"Malaysia jailed a prominent anti-government blogger for two years under a strict security law that can keep him in prison indefinitely for allegedly inciting racial tensions with his writings, a lawyer said today.Online commentator Raja Petra Raja Kamarudin was already in police custody and was served a detention order last night under the Internal Security Act, said his lawyer Malik Imtiaz Sarwar...
Palin charges rape victims $1,200
Posted on September 23, 2008Palin charges rape victims $1,200"Alaska routinely has the highest rate of sexual assault in the United States, two and a half times the national average". Sarah Palin set about reducing the amount of reported sexual assaults. Make the victim pay $1,200 for the rape examination kits used to determine whether the victim has been raped...
Dog spared death sentence as owner at fault
Posted on September 23, 2008Dog spared death sentence as owner at faultA dog has had its death sentence lifted after a judge ruled that its attacks on two people were the fault of its owner. Judge Mark Horton said he was satisfied that Lilly, a Labrador collie cross, was not dangerous and that she has the potential to "provide both joy and entertainment to any future owner for years to come...
In praise of ... votes for prisoners
Posted on September 22, 2008In praise of ... votes for prisonersDostoevsky wrote that "the degree of civilisation in a society can be judged by entering its prisons". If that is right, British civilisation is none too healthy just now. Record numbers of inmates are crammed into the jails...
Number of children locked up 'rises fivefold'
Posted on September 22, 2008Number of children locked up 'rises fivefold'The number of children locked up by the courts in England and Wales has increased fivefold in a decade, the charity Barnardo's said today.Barnardo's said the use of custody for 10 to 14-year-olds rose by 550% from 1996 to 2006 and had led to children "being written off" by the age of 12...
Murder probe over prisoner death
Posted on September 21, 2008Murder probe over prisoner deathA murder investigation has been opened after the death of an inmate at a jail in Greater Manchester.Ryan Beaver, from Stockport, suffered serious injuries in the assault at Forest Bank Prison in Salford on Friday morning and died in hospital...
Cameron to sell helmet to make ends meet
Posted on September 21, 2008Cameron to sell helmet to make ends meetLife is tough at the top in this economic climate, that even David Cameron is forced to sell his old cycle helmet at a car boot sale to make ends meet. As I recall, Cameron's bike and helmet are no strangers to car boots...
Vaz urged to quit key Commons job
Posted on September 21, 2008Vaz urged to quit key Commons jobLabour MP under renewed pressure over 'failure' to declare link with solicitor facing court costsOne committee member said that he should step down until he has cleared his name. 'The allegations against Keith are so serious that he is in effect casting a shadow over the committee as a whole...
Fairness is still our guide
Posted on September 21, 2008Fairness is still our guideOnly New Labour can help businesses and families through this economic turbulenceIt is only a Labour government that is able to act now to tackle the instability in the economy and provide the security that businesses and families need...
Down and out in London (part 2)
Posted on September 21, 2008Down and out in London (part 2)A refugee from the fallout of the London Mayoral Election with a message for George Galloway?
Jailbirds creating eco-havens in prison
Posted on September 21, 2008Jailbirds creating eco-havens in prisonInmates are becoming conservationists as they use their time behind bars to help protect vital natural habitats that are home to rare speciesThousands of prisoners across the country are turning their jails into some of the most species-rich sites in the country and a newly found interest in conservation is aiding their rehabilitation...
Pinch of salt dear?
Posted on September 21, 2008Pinch of salt dear?Happy birthday to Charles "Big Ears" Clarke who is 100 today.I was tickled to see Peter Mandelson on top of Sunny Hundal.I thought all of this was serious until I discovered that Iain Dale was behind it.
Norfolk goes bonkers over conkers
Posted on September 21, 2008Norfolk goes bonkers over conkersThis has to be the joke of the week..."No more chestnut trees lining the streets of Norwich, in case the conkers fall on your head - as if that would make a difference, in Norfolk."
Orphaned hare raised in woman's bra
Posted on September 21, 2008Orphaned hare raised in woman's braWhen Cherida Cannon's labrador Teal chased and killed a hare, she set about preparing it for the pot.But there was a surprise in store. The hare turned out to be pregnant, and its unborn baby's heart was still beating...
Arise Lady JK Rowling?
Posted on September 20, 2008Arise Lady JK Rowling?JK Rowling gives Labour £1m donationHarry Potter author gives party financial boost as annual conference begins in Manchester
Sleazy Keith Vaz to face inquiry
Posted on September 20, 2008Sleazy Keith Vaz to face inquiryA senior Labour MP is facing demands for a sleaze inquiry after intervening in a court case on behalf of a party donor. Keith Vaz, chairman of the influential home affairs select committee, urged the High Court to delay proceedings involving a friend from whom he and his family had received lavish hospitality...
Christmas in September at Aldi
Posted on September 20, 2008Christmas in September at AldiI don't think it quite worked out my trip up to Aldi's to save money, my shopping bill came to £33. Mind you, I did buy half a leg of lamb, rump steak, some trainers and 5kg of dog biscuits...The Christmas Market signs did tickle my sense of humour.
Blues and Twos traffic stop on Beverley Road (A1079)
Posted on September 20, 2008Blues and Twos traffic stop on Beverley Road (A1079)
Mexican jail riot leaves 19 dead
Posted on September 19, 2008Mexican jail riot leaves 19 deadAt least 19 people have been killed in a riot at a prison in Mexico - the second outbreak of violence at the jail in less than a week, officials say.
Give prisoners right to vote, says UN
Posted on September 19, 2008Give prisoners right to vote, says UNDenial of franchise may infringe human rightsNo date set for public consultation, says ministryBy Duncan CampbellPrisoners in British jails should be allowed to vote and the government should enact legislation to that effect, according to a United Nations report...
Some pics
Posted on September 19, 2008Some picsElephants at the zoo in Emmen play with a newborn elephant, which was born unexpectedly in the morning outside the stables, surprising the caretakers of the zoo in the NetherlandsPicture: AFP/GETTYFlamingos are seen at a pond at the Jurong Bird Park in SingaporePicture: REUTERSFreeze Frame: Living on Thin Ice - images by Sue Flood and Doug AllanPolar bear mother and cubs (Ursus maritimus) en route to North Pole, July 2007Picture: SUE FLOODPolar bear and cub walking in snowPicture: SUB02031 / DOUG ALLAN / GETTYLone polar bear in the Arctic OceanPicture: SUB05051 / SUE FLOOD / GETTYLone polar bear yawning in the Arctic OceanPicture: SUB05047 / SUE FLOOD / GETTYSouth Pacific, Tonga, Vava'u, humpback whale and calf, underwater viewPicture: 200513096 / DOUG ALLAN / GETTYA black cat snuggles up to a dog on the pavement in front of the home of an Amish family in Middlefield, OhioPicture: AP
cocaine flavoured wigs
Posted on September 18, 2008cocaine flavoured wigsTwo women have begun a year-long prison sentence in Jamaica after trying to smuggle cocaine out of the country in wigs they were wearing.Which gives me an excuse to wheel out this story again, particularly as I like this photo with its link to cocaine and a wig...
This that or the other
Posted on September 18, 2008This that or the otherPrison numbers could rise by 15%The BBC is reporting: "The prison population in England and Wales could rise to 95,800 by 2015, the Ministry of Justice has said".The prison numbers game. Take your pick. What's it going to be in 2015?1...
Tales of a skip rat
Posted on September 18, 2008Tales of a skip ratI caught the weather girl on BBC 1 Look North last night, and she said it would be a bright, sunny and warm day today. So far, the forecast has been spot on it is simply glorious here in Hull.Last night RonKnee mounted a rescue mission and crossed the Humber Bridge to visit me...
Gurkhas protest over right to settle in the UK
Posted on September 17, 2008Gurkhas protest over right to settle in the UKA judicial review is to be heard at the High Court today over a decision in 2004 that Gurkhas who retired before July 1997 were not entitled to British settlement rights as their base, now in Kent, was in Hong Kong at the time...
"Foggy" Clegg and Compo
Posted on September 17, 2008"Foggy" Clegg and CompoRead the original post here at Curly's Corner Shop, the blog.A Big Hat-Tip to Curly for this one.
Jailhouselawyer receives threats
Posted on September 17, 2008Jailhouselawyer receives threatsRead the comment in response to this video.My response is below...
Why Sarah Payne's mother should shut the fuck up
Posted on September 17, 2008Why Sarah Payne's mother should shut the fuck upSarah's Law will spread suspicion and hurt among friends and neighbours, and children will suffer"Only a few days ago, it was reported that adults who went for a walk in their local park were being cross-examined by park officials as to their motives - they were not accompanied by any children, so they must, according to the warped philosophy of our times, be suspected of being there for a more sinister reason"...
Police to reopen judge sex abuse case
Posted on September 16, 2008Police to reopen judge sex abuse case"Police have been ordered to reconsider a case where a judge was accused of sexually abusing children, one as young as 18-months, after claims that they failed to properly investigate because he was a friend of the chief constable"...
Hiking holidays: The world in 50 walks
Posted on September 16, 2008Hiking holidays: The world in 50 walksThe best places on earth to lace up your hiking boots? Christopher Somerville, writer of our Walk of the Month column, makes his choice. 'A journey as much spiritual as physical': trekkers cross the Gangotri Galcier in the Himalayas Photo: John Cleare Bruce Peninsula National Park, Ontario, Canada: with limestone paths, lakes, forest, this is a wild, natural and rugged place to exploreThe rugged environs of Inverpolly in Scotland provide demanding but highly rewarding walking opportunitiesJurassic classic: Lyme Regis and the surrounding region has some wonderful trails Photo: Christopher Jones Torres del Paine: The pristine region of glacial lakes and towering rock spires is perfect walking country Photo: Getty Images
LibDems and Tories have got it wrong on how to cut crime
Posted on September 16, 2008LibDems and Tories have got it wrong on how to cut crimeNeither the LibDem home affairs spokesman, Chris Huhne, nor the Tory shadow home secretary, Dominic Grieve, have got a clue when it comes to reducing crime.According to Chris Huhne: "The answer's simple...
What are the big issues facing the country Gordon?
Posted on September 16, 2008What are the big issues facing the country Gordon? The Twitching corpse stands outside Number 10.David Cairns (who?), a Labour minister, has resigned in protest at Gordon Brown's leadership.Vince Cable, the Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman, when asked about Mr Brown's problems said: "I have no wish to kick a twitching corpse"...
Muslim MP calls for religious equality law
Posted on September 16, 2008Muslim MP calls for religious equality lawIf, as Sadiq Khan claims, "Law would help Muslims integrate", then why the apartied of Sharia law?
Black Tuesday
Posted on September 15, 2008Black TuesdayLast night that pervert Iain Dale, the so-called number one political blogger, wrote a post about fingering a government minister. He got the story from the BBC website, where it was suggested that a minister has claimed he is prepared to resign...
Dog Saves Owner By Dialling 911
Posted on September 15, 2008Dog Saves Owner By Dialling 911A dog whose owner was having a seizure saved his life by calling the emergency services and barking down the line to raise the alarm.
Prisoners riot at jail in Tijuana, Mexico
Posted on September 15, 2008Prisoners riot at jail in Tijuana, MexicoPrisoners angered by the alleged deaths of inmates at the hands of guards rioted at a state penitentiary in Tijuana, Mexico, injuring at least four prisonersPicture: REUTERSThe four suffered bullet wounds and were evacuated for treatment, Red Cross official Fernando Esquer said...
Penny for the Guy
Posted on September 15, 2008Penny for the GuyWho wants to be a millionaire? Apparently, Guido Fawkes (aka Paul Staines) does. When on Newsnight, he was challenged to put up or shut up by Michael White. His claims were shown to be all wind. Just like his latest claim. "He now claims the site is worth at least £1m"...
Largest owls in the world threaten British birds
Posted on September 15, 2008Largest owls in the world threaten British birdsSeveral pairs of eagle owls, the largest owls in the world, are now breeding in the wild in Britain, according to a new study.But it is unlikely they will ever be considered British birds as they escaped from a large pool of birds kept in captivity...
Sharia law not legal in England
Posted on September 15, 2008Sharia law not legal in EnglandIt is not legal for the government to introduce Sharia law into England on the quiet and through the back door, as reported in the Sunday Times yesterday, and picked up by the Daily Telegraph today, simply because Parliament has not passed a statute authorising such a move...
Huge rise in teacher suspensions
Posted on September 14, 2008Huge rise in teacher suspensionsThere has been an 86% increase in the number of teachers suspended on full pay in the UK over claims of pupil mistreatment, the BBC has learned.This statistic appears to be alarming at first glance. And, may be that is the case...
Shadow of Guantanamo follows freed inmates back to their homes
Posted on September 14, 2008Shadow of Guantanamo follows freed inmates back to their homesAfter years in detention, Afghan returnees have bitter memories as they face new hardships. Jason Burke reports from Kabul"More than 500 detainees have been released from Guantánamo and American authorities have indicated that only about 70 of the 263 still in their custody will be tried...
Why Sarah's law should be binned
Posted on September 14, 2008Why Sarah's law should be binnedThis is frightening.Police may also choose to disclose that the subject is merely "showing worrying behaviour", or was arrested or acquitted of a crime.A leaflet produced about the scheme states: "Even if a subject doesn't have a record for child sex offences it doesn't mean that he or she is not potentially a risk"...
Revealed: UK?s first official sharia courts
Posted on September 14, 2008Revealed: UK?s first official sharia courtsISLAMIC law has been officially adopted in Britain, with sharia courts given powers to rule on Muslim civil cases.The government has quietly sanctioned the powers for sharia judges to rule on cases ranging from divorce and financial disputes to those involving domestic violence...
Why is Pearson Park becoming a battle ground?
Posted on September 14, 2008Why is Pearson Park becoming a battle ground?As per usual, when there is a fight and criminal damage in Pearson Park, the police are nowhere to be seen until too late, because they are too busy sat on their arses or chasing innocent dog walkers. The Chief Constable of Humberside, Tim Hollis, has not explained his policy of sending emergency response vehicles from the furthest point of the scene of action to the scene, when common sense dictates that it would be better to send those closer to the scene to an emergency...
Clegg says State schools are not good enough for his kids
Posted on September 14, 2008Clegg says State schools are not good enough for his kids Nick "Cactus" Clegg lied when he made this statement: "I am a father before a politician", in trying to defend his decision that State schools are ok for other kids but are not good enough for his own...
Did the Camerons cocaine habit cause their child's cerebral palsy?
Posted on September 14, 2008Did the Camerons cocaine habit cause their child's cerebral palsy?There is a link between David Cameron and cocaine. There is also a link between cocaine and cerebral palsy. David and Samantha Cameron have a son called Ivan who has cerebral palsy.Stephen Pound, the Labour MP for Ealing North, said: ?I would have thought that if there was one thing that MPs have learned over the years, it is that if they use their children it will come back to haunt them?...
Tory Party in £6M donations from money laundering scam
Posted on September 14, 2008Tory Party in £6M donations from money laundering scamConservativeHome is reporting from the Sunday Times "Lord Ashcroft, deputy chairman of the Conservative party, has channelled money into party funds from the Central American tax haven of Belize, despite a ban on overseas donations"...
Prime Minister falls flat on face
Posted on September 13, 2008Prime Minister falls flat on facePrime Minister falls flat on face.Related content...A splash. Is that with ice sir?
The week in pictures: 13 September 2008
Posted on September 13, 2008The week in pictures: 13 September 2008A burrowing owl scans the horizon with its large eyes while sitting outside its hole Yuma, ArizonaThe Brooklyn Bridge frames lower Manhattan as the Tribute in Lights illuminates the sky on the seventh anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center in New YorkA rare blonde female hedgehog found in Shropshire which is being nursed back to health by RSPCA staff at Stapeley Grange, CheshireA car is hoisted from a crater which appeared in a road in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, ChinaLightning strikes the Tokyo Tower in the Japanese capitalPolar bears, their fur stained with algae, stand in their enclosure at Higashiyama Zoo in Nagoya, JapanA cat smells a rat during training for explosives detection in Bogota, ColombiaA robin takes a bath in a garden in Stockport
The world's 50 most beautiful gardens - Part Two: Asia, Africa, Australasia, and the Americas
Posted on September 13, 2008The world's 50 most beautiful gardens - Part Two: Asia, Africa, Australasia, and the AmericasBagh-e Fin, IranThis venerable garden - the oldest surviving in Iran - was completed in about 1590 by the early Safavids. . . [full details]Photograph by Jerry HarpurDonnell Garden, USASometimes known as El Novillero, this iconic garden in Sonoma Valley, northern California, was designed by Thomas Church for the Donnell family in 1937...
Police driver gives lesson in how not to park
Posted on September 12, 2008Police driver gives lesson in how not to parkA police driver gave Londoners a lesson in how not to park as he drove his car through railings, leaving it lying on its side in a basement. Honest Guv, the lamp post jumped out in front of me...With car parking spaces being in short supply in London, this police car driver should be praised for his or her ingenuity...
Man's dog 'did not attack park warden'
Posted on September 12, 2008Man's dog 'did not attack park warden'A man who faced trial for having an "out of control dog" has been cleared of the charges.John Hirst, 57, of Beverley Road, west Hull, was arrested after a park warden in Pearson Park accused him of provoking his golden retriever, named Rocky, to attack him...
Scenes from Britain's National Parks
Posted on September 12, 2008Scenes from Britain's National ParksSome of the best walking in the world lies right on our doorstep. The following scenes from Britain's National Parks provide the perfect inspiration to lace up your hiking boots and get out into the open this autumn...
The Big Picture
Posted on September 11, 2008The Big PictureIn this week's round of The Big Picture photography competition, where we invite readers to send us their best holiday snaps, James Wood of Dundee wins for his vibrant picture of a monastery and prayer flags in Leh, Ladakh, Northern India...
Police officers 'disappointing the public'
Posted on September 11, 2008Police officers 'disappointing the public'Police officers too often disappoint the public and allow "pride and ego" to get in the way of improvements, a senior officer has warned. Ian Johnston, the President of the Police Superintendents' Association, said officers were "rude and uncivil" and must learn to provide a better service.