TORNADOES, COMPUTERS AND PENDULUMS

So, holiday over and my friend`s house damaged by a tornado after we had left for Florida`s Gulf Coast experiencing the biggest,  baddest, wettest storms in living memory with over 12 inches of rain in three days.  So, I no longer go on holiday for a sun tan but……..

This piece is being written on a new Windows 8.1 computer with the latest edition of Word but the computer is faulty and after absolutely no assistance from Lenovo, it is being replaced next week by John Lewis. Being distinctly unimpressed with this Windows format whether or not I will switch to an Apple is a moot point.

Since this blog is based around the law as seen and experienced by a Justice of the Peace I couldn`t help but notice a piece in yesterday`s Times which said that that the  country`s chief prosecutor had warned that juries must be made aware that an alleged rape victim`s past sexual history, previous consensual sex with alleged offender, style of clothing or state of inebriation must not be considered as a defence to the charge.   In other words the propensity to behave in a certain manner by an alleged victim is not to be considered as is the bad character of a defendant where propensity to offend can be placed before a jury by the prosecution.

In some respects I consider that the concept of “victims` justice”  has reached the social pendulum`s maximum swing.  It will take only a very few miscarriages of justice for the rights of defendants to be re-considered.  Perhaps the trials since the Savile revelations are an early signal.