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PRAISE & SCORN
COMPENSATION:The
prisoners currently complaining about ill treatment in prison will
no doubt receive financial compensation. They have had no
financial loss therefore should receive no money.The public have
paid as victims of crimes then in having to pay for prisons as
well as the support of prisoners families. Finally, to rub salt
into the wound, financial compensation. If there has been some
breach of prison rules by those in charge, punish those persons,
be it financially, loss of job or by criminal charges but don't
make the public pay yet again.
REPARATION:
Judge Neil McLean in the Zhang trial (39 charges of kidnapping,
aggravated robbery and demanding with menaces) said that 14 years
was an appropriate starting point but that he had to consider
"meaningful offers of reparation". Such reparation should be made
by the offender, not by family or other persons. This is not the
intention of the legislation. The Justice Dept notes on the
Sentencing and
Parole
Reform Bill, 2002, Clause 8 state that it will give "clear
sentencing guidance that sentences near the maximum should be
imposed for offences near the worst instances of their type". The
Judge
appears to have overlooked this as well.
DUMB DOG ADVERT:
The North Shore and Rodney councils are banning dogs on beaches
during the summer from 9am to 7pm on account of the "doggie doos"
fouling the beach. I seem to have missed the point. Are droppings
deposited outside of normal hours different from those within the
allowable hours?
(Note:
As a result of the above letter to Editors, the radio advert that
sparked this letter, was changed to "problems with dogs rushing at
or lunging at people" during these hours!)
Yet to
think of any praise - but it will happen! |
