I am no fan of the Animal Right’s Movement, Peter Singer has a lot to answer for. His theoretical position has been translated into some dark and dangerous realities. 

Neither, though, am I a fan of the Serious Crime Act 2007. 

It has long been argued that Part 2 – Encouraging or Assisting Crime  Sections 44 to 67 will be used to  a bring charges of “encouraging or assisting” the commission of a crime, which never occurred, by doing something or by an act of omission depending on whether the authorities believe you intend that your actions might “encourage or assist” someone to commit a crime somehow, at some indeterminate time, somewhere.

Got that?

On Monday, a Sheffield man was released on police bail after being questioned in connection with comments posted to the activist news website Indymedia, which included the personal details of a prominent High Court judge. The gist of the comment was an invitation to write to this judge expressing your disgust at a recent sentence handed down to an animal rights activist and giving his address to write to. The comment was (twice) correctly removed by moderators. 

Now you might imagine that the man arrested had actually written the comments. Not at all, the man arrested was not responsible for either of the comments and is not an Indymedia activist or administrator. It seems the Indymedia server was hosted by UK Grid under a contract in his name, along with several others on behalf of unrelated clients.

Are you with me? The man arrested had arranged a contract to host a server which briefly held a comment inviting others to write a letter………an act which might have resulted in someone going further than just writing a letter and committing an act. 

Who will be next?

Hat tip to Chris Williams

Karen February 13, 2009 at 10:23

I thought that’s what officials were there for!

Morning Ch

Ch February 13, 2009 at 10:17

I even do it myself regularly.
Good morning, Karen

Karen February 13, 2009 at 09:56

I’m doomed then – I’m always encouraging people to write to officials and
moan about stuff.

Anna Raccoon
February 13, 2009 at 10:34

You can go for the hat trick on Monday Karen……take a photograph of a
Policeman, then put up a post giving the Commissioners address to write to –
complaining about the way the Policeman was behaving…….should get us all
about ten years each!!!!!

Gloria Smudd
February 12, 2009 at 16:21

Linking tenuously with wolves in sheep’s clothing – howabout actresses in
artists’ clothing? Huh? Anne Kirkbride, of course, the lovely bespectacled
Weatherfield One wants to leave The Street to spend more time putting her
sunny holiday snaps through the ‘oil paint’ filter on Photoshop and print the
results on some ‘canvasses’. Yippee!

Coco February 11, 2009 at 23:48

If all the bankers and tycoons are corrupt ………….. and all the MPs and Lords
are given bounty and privileges for doing things for the bankers and tycoons
that go beyond their duties ……………. Does this mean that everybody who is
well-placed can just ride rough-shod over everybody else?

If so …………. I want a senior role in The New World Order because then I can
take bungs and commit heinous crimes and engage in dastardly activities ………..
and not ever have to answer for anything or go to prison and eat food that
people have spat in.

Coco February 11, 2009 at 23:43

Bon soir! Little Princess here too ………… Wanting to know how corrupt the
stem cells are in this New World Order!

It looks like the Police, the Lords and the MPs are all as corrupt as each
other. Am I wrong?

Anna Raccoon
February 11, 2009 at 23:37

Indeed what? Janes….

Evening Chatelaine.

Ch February 11, 2009 at 23:22

Well I find myself amongst pears then …
Evening

janes February 11, 2009 at 23:15

Indeed.

Coco February 11, 2009 at 21:19

janes! Have you done that test with a pea? Just in case.

I also have a very hard pea that I offer to guests on arrival if they want
to use my Princess bedroom ………… Just so that they can prove to themselves that
they are not really Princesses.

I have a feeling that you are a real Princess ………… Just like moi!

Coco February 11, 2009 at 21:16

Gloria Smudd 02.11.09 at 5:14 pm
Did I hear correctly that the Lords
won

janes February 11, 2009 at 20:45

Ow! I am a princess!

janes February 11, 2009 at 19:41

I’m back but everyone else seems to have gone. Is it a conspiracy?

Anna Raccoon
February 11, 2009 at 19:47

They’re all hiding – waiting for you to spot the spikey ‘things’ in your
‘mattress’…….

Gloria Smudd
February 11, 2009 at 17:14

Did I hear correctly that the Lords won’t be investigated because the laws
are rather tricky to interpret in these circumstances? Surely not?

janes February 11, 2009 at 16:39

Let’s hope John Moore doesn’t take a trip to Harrowdown Hill.

Anna Raccoon
February 11, 2009 at 17:00

Janes,

That is a ghastly but very pertinent thought.

This is reminiscent of the David Kelly saga.

Gloria Smudd
February 11, 2009 at 16:24

Or Here! Here! (whatever, simple creature and all that…)

Gloria Smudd
February 11, 2009 at 16:24

Hear! Hear!

Saul February 11, 2009 at 16:15

The Lords to get off without investigation as well. There is no longer any
credibility in British Politics

Saul February 11, 2009 at 14:50

Speaking of Wolves and Sheep. I think Sir James Crosby has been thrown as a
sacrificial Lamb to the Wolves of the Select Commitee. They must be salivating
at the prospect.

Anna Raccoon
February 11, 2009 at 15:51

Tossed from the Select Committee to Gordon Brown at PMQ’s – who hit him
into the long grass with his comment that he wasn’t actually an advisor to
the Government, he’d just written a couple of reports, and there lies the
spent carcass of Sir James Crosby…….who must have thought he’d got away with
it yesterday with his ‘been exonerated’ by an independent inquiry following
the John Moore allegations…….independent my foot, the inquiry was carried
out by KPMG, auditors to HBOS, whose chairman at the time was….no, you don’t
need me to tell you do you? Sir John Crosby.

They are rotten to the core, and we need to hear more of Moore.