It's Latin for "The safety of the people is the greatest law", a quotation from Cicero and a principle of justice since Roman times.
I noticed this quotation on a blog I follow, Guido Fawkes' blog as it happens (link over there on the left in the blogroll) whereby the normally sane Guido completely loses it over the Milly Dowler murder and calls for the reintroduction of the death penalty, simultaneously piddling all over his "libertarian" credentials in the process.
Look it's clear to me that Levi Bellfield is a truly evil git with all the redeeming features of a rat on PCP and what he did was truly evil. However hard cases make bad law and our laws are based on meting out justice, not vengeance; if I may be allowed some more Latin1 Dura lex sed lex
Much as our human sensibilities, outraged by what this individual has done, call out for his destruction it is some measure of our civilisation we no longer act on these impulses; that the judge in this case has imposed a whole of life tariff is to my mind sufficient much as my inner dragon would like to turn the breath weapon to "simmer" and slowly roast the fuck to death over a few days. We cannot, we must not ever allow the state to have the ability to kill any of its citizens for they cannot be trusted with that power. How many people died at the end of Albert Pierrepoint's rope whose convictions were subsequently found to be unsafe or which were clearly wrongly allowed to be executed to suit a politician who wanted to look "tough on crime"?
If we bring the death penalty back how many more Derek Bentleys will there be because the Home Secretary2 doesn't want to be seen to be letting a nasty evil peedofil off because the Daily Mail will turn on him?
1 All dragons are required to speak Latin. It's in the code of conduct right alongside to setting fire to estate agents and advertising creatives.
2 Not the current one, obviously, as he is a wet as a ducks' underwear.
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1 comment:
I saw the Milly Dowler documentary on BBC1 last night. I agree totally with your post here. The television programme was excellent and brought closure to this dreadful tale. I agree that Levi Bellfield is a truly evil git.
As you are aware, I enjoy crime thriller novels. I was uncomfortable that all the evidence was circumstantial, there was no hard forensic evidence against Bellfield. It is disgusting that Bellfield refused to answer questions and stand up in court. I agree with the jury that Bellfield abducted and killed Milly Dowler but the evidence was very weak.
What I am really uncomfortable with is the possibility that someone who does not prove their innocence could be fitted up by the Police for a crime they did not commit.
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