Disproportionate sentencing
Discussion
I saw a show called "Britcam: Emergency on our Streets" today (the episode concerned started midnight today on Sky1). First, we saw (through a taxi's camera) a nasty, feral piece of s
t carry out an extended attack on a taxi driver, drawing blood, for daring not to give His Highness a free ride. Court result: £100 fine.
Later, we saw (through a police bodycam) another nasty, feral piece of st (interchangeable with the first one) strike and threaten a police officer, and resist arrest for several minutes, for daring to speak to him about another assault he had just carried out. Court result: £50 fine.
Meanwhile, exceed a stupidly low speed limit and you'll be fined at least £100, and if you park on pointless double yellows or stray into a bus lane then the "fine" will be more than £100 in many places. Apparently a civilised driver who does such things is a greater threat to society than a vicious hooligan who gets violent towards anyone and everyone at the slightest provocation. Yet who would you rather have in your neighbourhood?
This is where arse-about-face PC bullst has got us. All drivers are bad people for unfashionably exercising their individual liberty at a time of ever-expanding, micro-managing, egalitarian government, so they deserve harsh punishment. OTOH, actual scumbags have no moral agency and are just pitiful victims of circumstance, so it wouldn't be fair to give them robust, proportionate sentences. No-one's truly bad and everyone's OK underneath, except for decent people of course. Yet those who peddle this nonsensical narrative always seem to take great care to live away from the pondlife they take such virtuous pity on.
Will anything ever be done about the culture of impunity now enjoyed by the most dangerous members of our society? They simply don't care if police or cameras are nearby, because they know nothing of any consequence will happen to them. They should be st-scared when they've been arrested and they're sat in the back of the police van, but instead they just smirk, and as well they might. How would you have felt in court if you'd been the above police officer? Why must our once world-leading justice system be reduced to an impotent laughing stock?
t carry out an extended attack on a taxi driver, drawing blood, for daring not to give His Highness a free ride. Court result: £100 fine.Later, we saw (through a police bodycam) another nasty, feral piece of s
t (interchangeable with the first one) strike and threaten a police officer, and resist arrest for several minutes, for daring to speak to him about another assault he had just carried out. Court result: £50 fine.Meanwhile, exceed a stupidly low speed limit and you'll be fined at least £100, and if you park on pointless double yellows or stray into a bus lane then the "fine" will be more than £100 in many places. Apparently a civilised driver who does such things is a greater threat to society than a vicious hooligan who gets violent towards anyone and everyone at the slightest provocation. Yet who would you rather have in your neighbourhood?
This is where arse-about-face PC bulls
t has got us. All drivers are bad people for unfashionably exercising their individual liberty at a time of ever-expanding, micro-managing, egalitarian government, so they deserve harsh punishment. OTOH, actual scumbags have no moral agency and are just pitiful victims of circumstance, so it wouldn't be fair to give them robust, proportionate sentences. No-one's truly bad and everyone's OK underneath, except for decent people of course. Yet those who peddle this nonsensical narrative always seem to take great care to live away from the pondlife they take such virtuous pity on.Will anything ever be done about the culture of impunity now enjoyed by the most dangerous members of our society? They simply don't care if police or cameras are nearby, because they know nothing of any consequence will happen to them. They should be s
t-scared when they've been arrested and they're sat in the back of the police van, but instead they just smirk, and as well they might. How would you have felt in court if you'd been the above police officer? Why must our once world-leading justice system be reduced to an impotent laughing stock?TwigtheWonderkid said:
Some motoring offences a punished too leniently. The fine for driving without insurance is often much lower than the cost of insurance. Just seems crazy. L:ike having a £10 fine for not buying a £20 train ticket.
The analogy would be better served stating a £10 fine for not buying a £20 season ticket. After all it doesn't prevent incurring further fines for being caught again. I agree, there are many reports of violent behavior being met with simple fines, warnings or suspend sentences. These in my opinion act as no deterrent what so ever to most of the scum that perpetrate these crimes.
It often baffles me when I read about a crime that involves fraud resulting in a jail term for a first time offender where as violent behavior seems to offer a less severe sentence.
Are we really saying it's okay to beat someone up, but cheat them (or usually society) out of money and it's jail?
It often baffles me when I read about a crime that involves fraud resulting in a jail term for a first time offender where as violent behavior seems to offer a less severe sentence.
Are we really saying it's okay to beat someone up, but cheat them (or usually society) out of money and it's jail?
The absolute size of a fine is not a measure of the seriousness of a crime.
The punishment fits the criminal, not just the crime. £100 to one person is a heck of a lot less than £10 might be to someone else.
Fixed penalties are a blunt tool, justified by their simplicity of application and use for pretty minor offences.
As the crime becomes more serious you can expect more attention to be paid to making the punishment appropriate for the specific criminal.
The punishment fits the criminal, not just the crime. £100 to one person is a heck of a lot less than £10 might be to someone else.
Fixed penalties are a blunt tool, justified by their simplicity of application and use for pretty minor offences.
As the crime becomes more serious you can expect more attention to be paid to making the punishment appropriate for the specific criminal.
Watching same set of fly on the wall programmes - Speeding is far out of whack. The fines and associated punishment for speeding in your own insured, taxed and licensed to drive car keeps being harsher than stealing someones else's car and going for a police chase. The levels of banning are very much out of proportion.
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