Negativity.
Harper's law Petition
- Thread starter Smiffy-UK
- Start date
Negativity.
Caporegime
Agree. Murderers should be treated the same regardless of who was killed.
Soldato
Agree completely. They are certainly not paragons of virtue, just people like the rest of us. They deserve no more or less than everyone else.
Caporegime
Because the police are on the front line fighting against crime.
They are therefore more likely to come into contact with idiots, morons, rapists and murders who may well fight back to resist arrest.
We need to protect the police appropriately and to protect them even further with laws designed to dissuade people from trying to kill them or injure them when attempting to apprehend them can only be a positive thing.
Now in this case the circumstances are tragic and should result in a long custodial sentence.
Soldato
- Joined
- 11 Sep 2013
- Posts
- 12,310
I have none, save to cite another poster in the thread whose imagery amused me...
Just noticed that, had to check, I knew I had seen it used twice lol
That's some pretty impressive mental gymnastics there, people don't support extra sentences due to someones job means that they are actually wanting reduced sentences wow, I work in a prison but am not a prison officer, does that rule me out of the extended sentence party and make my life worth less than an actual prison officers?
I don't support extended sentences on certain jobs but I think the sentences handed out to killers are too lenient as a rule as I believe you should serve a minimum 30 years, none of this getting out after 7 years or so crap.
As Peel himself said,
I'm of the opinion that special treatment is rather unconstitutional and if not that, wholly disagreeable regardless of the situation. Either treat everyone the same or put it into law that certain sections of society can be treated differently, not merely for one particular circumstance, but every circumstance.
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Caporegime
Post #2 shows why we have a separation of powers/duties between (1) A Court of Appeal and (2) Random punter on interweb. OP went from zero to butthurt pretty quickly too. What a thread.
Soldato
It's not the police who are treated differently with that, though. It's anyone who kills a police officer
It's still equal treatment in law.
(just to reiterate, I'm not supportive of the OP's petition)
Soldato
Anything that locks away lookiie likies for longer is ok by me .
Caporegime
The public are not the police,
This guy was just getting his bike back from a thief and he got 10 years in prison. If he was a policeman he would have just been doing his job?
Also not supportive of this petition.
Equal treatment has to be considered for all parties. In two similar situations, where there are two victims of murder, and only one victim is a member of emergency services, the two killers would receive different sentencing. From the point of view of the victims' families, you can see how this could be an issue.
Bear in mind this is literally the point the creator of this petition is making, that she felt that sentencing of her husband's killer(s) was too lenient. This is exactly how this new law would make future families of victims feel.
I can understand this person's feeling that the punishment is not enough, but saying that this is because of her husband's occupation feels misdirected. Maybe she should be looking at more general issues surrounding convictions of manslaughter and murder? The whole petition and campaign feels much too emotive and lacking substance to have any real positive change.
Equal treatment has to be considered for all parties. In two similar situations, where there are two victims of murder, and only one victim is a member of emergency services, the two killers would receive different sentencing. From the point of view of the victims' families, you can see how this could be an issue.
Bear in mind this is literally the point the creator of this petition is making, that she felt that sentencing of her husband's killer(s) was too lenient. This is exactly how this new law would make future families of victims feel.
I can understand this person's feeling that the punishment is not enough, but saying that this is because of her husband's occupation feels misdirected. Maybe she should be looking at more general issues surrounding convictions of manslaughter and murder? The whole petition and campaign feels much too emotive and lacking substance to have any real positive change.
Man of Honour
So you're demanding that whatever laws you want are enacted without anyone being allowed to do anything other than express support for you.
That's not a good way to set laws, to put it very mildly indeed. Absolute dictators very rarely if ever make good rulers.
Soldato
I do feel sorry for this lady she has lost her husband in such a brutal way, this is clearly very emotionally charged for her and I do not think she is thinking logically about this at all.
Associate
Also unfortunately don't agree with the petition for the reasons others have said.
My dad was a copper for a while, but that doesn't change my views on the law.
My dad was a copper for a while, but that doesn't change my views on the law.
would they have had a life sentence if prosecution had shown they had knowingly killed him trying to avoid arrest ? and why did prosecution fail. ?
They recently showed large section of the oscar pistorious trial, where SA public could see justice being done, and in emotional cases like this too, I think there is a need for that transparency, even if the jurors are meant to be acting in our proxy.
They recently showed large section of the oscar pistorious trial, where SA public could see justice being done, and in emotional cases like this too, I think there is a need for that transparency, even if the jurors are meant to be acting in our proxy.
Soldato
It's the same if you add racism or whether it was premeditated or many other factors. These are aggravating factors which will add to the sentencing tariff.
I'm not generally a police nuthugger, I regularly (usually) take a position in opposition to them in discussions on this forum, but I can see that killing an on-duty officer is different to killing a member of the public. Police are charged with putting themselves in danger to protect the public.
The OP's petition is far too wide-reaching, far too punitive and clearly wrong. But the idea of Police (and possibly other emergency responders) being held to a slightly enhanced tariff when considering sentencing for crimes against them sits ok with me.