Wow! -- UK: Blair on Law Change

'Law change to curb yobs' -- "He warned the criminal justice system has lost all hope of tackling crime — and insisted the way to restore justice for “law-abiding citizens” was to rip up centuries of legal tradition. " By GEORGE PASCOE-WATSON, Deputy Political Editor -- via Newsbeat1/Jack's Newswatch

TONY Blair last night sensationally vowed to end the tradition of being presumed innocent until found guilty. The police end up being hidebound by a whole series of restrictions. It’s too complicated. We have to put the duty to protect the law-abiding citizen at the centre of the system. [. . . . ]

If you are a police officer patrolling the streets and someone throws a brick through a window or abuses an old lady on the way to the shops . . . If you have to take that person all the way through a long court process, you are not going to do it.

By the time you have filled out all the forms, done the statements, got them to court, three hearings, they have defence lawyers, all the rest of it, forget it. [. . . . ]

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