I make no apology for returning to
criticism of the Magistrates Association. The Criminal Courts Charge is nothing short of a legal
abomination. It was introduced as part of a philosophy forced
upon the previous government in its search for financial cuts which left
inter alia the NHS "free at the point of service" and overseas aid to
remain at 0.7% of GNP. It introduced the principle already forced upon
civil courts of trying to make justice pay for itself overturning a long
cherished tradition that alongside defence it is a pillar of a democracy which
must only be funded by the state. The chairman of the M.A. in a letter
for members *copied below, refers obliquely to this charge as to whether
it has "negatively effected the administration of the law and
justice" in his quest for members` responses.
Administration (noun) The
process or activity of running a business, organization, etc.
Effect (verb) cause
(something) to happen; bring about
It would seem therefore that he is asking
magistrates to answer a question which is completely "off
topic". The charge blatantly does not affect administration
as above defined; it affects the ability to pay without means testing of
those found guilty. Perhaps the question was phrased deliberately in this form
to elicit particular forms of reply or perhaps it was phrased thus owing to
simple incompetence of the writer. Either way, apart from the writer`s
confusion between affect and effect it is just another
example of obfuscation by the Magistrates Association.
*
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