Best Of

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In fact, I cannot remember the last time I met an actual right wing lawyer. As in: a full-on Brexity Tory gin-swilling hang-em-high justice of the peace

I wonder if they even exist any more

On the other hand, I have met many many many left wing lawyers and judges, some very left, nearly always Remainery

There are a whole host of reasons why the poor black man ends up in prison and the rich white women doesn’t.

Poor people are much more likely to go to prison, whatever their colour. Their propensity to steal, for example, is driven by their situation and lack of options.

They are less likely to be in employment so less able to pay compensation.

They are more likely to live in criminal environs making recidivism more likely.

They are less likely to have a secure address or a stable family relationship.

They are likely to be less well represented.

They are more likely to have a problematic relationship with drugs and alcohol, not least because their life is shit.

I could go on but if the courts are going to find ways of not sending a disproportionate number of poor black men to prison they need to think outside the box a bit more and a pre-sentencing report can help with that.

These guidelines are based on real evidence and real experiences of those at the sharp end. Having given it some thought I back them and regret that Labour ran away because they thought it looked “woke”.

And a bleeding heart liberal I ain’t.

I am appalled by this.

We don't see eye to eye on many issues these days, but I tend to regard your capacity to reason as sound, if you often reach conclusions that I think are erroneous.

This is not that - this is a perversion of logic. It is not for the courts to maladminister justice to try to redress some societal imbalance that they have cod-analysed. If more poor black men have committed crimes severe enough to warrant a custodial sentence, then they must be given a custodial sentence - if for public protection alone.

'Having given some thought' is a good one. Perhaps giving such 'thought' is what it takes to be promoted these days.

But wait, racist anti-white sentencing laws make him a bit "twitchy", so that's OK

It's just integrity leaving the body.

That's a brilliant analogy

I believe these pre-death rhapsodies often occur in lawyers entering late middle age, pre-retirement, when it just seems so much easier to - you know - go with the flow, don't make a fuss....

DavidL is one of the finest posters on this site.

Was

I hope he returns to his senses. His posts today have been shameful

@DavidL is always very sensible.

Boringly so. I am genuinely surprised my comments have been thought controversial. I have explained that there are many reasons why people from ethnic backgrounds may be more prone to being sentenced to jail than the stereotype of racist judges ( in which respect I agree with @Leon’s observations).

The question is whether the court should respond to these factors or simply say that is the way it is. I think exploring other options than jail makes sense. It reduces the likelihood of further offending. It improves the chances of the offender becoming a useful citizen. That is in all our interests, not just the accused.

For the record I have no intention ever of applying to become a judge. I much prefer prosecution and probably wouldn’t be considered anyway. The guidelines we have been discussing do not apply in Scotland. If they did I would inevitably have been more circumspect in expressing any view about them.

Free article from the Atlantic.

Over the past several months I asked U.S. allies whether they think President Trump is a reliable ally. They said no, but with an essential caveat. The career U.S. government officials who actually run the FBI, the intelligence agencies, and the Pentagon day-to-day have long been trusted partners. In my latest story for the Atlantic, I look at these key, working-level relationships and whether they can keep an eight-decade alliance from falling apart.

https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2025/03/american-allies-trust-trump-intelligence/681939/?gift=kPTlqn0J1iP9IBZcsdI5IWQ_Mm3krL1dMYEQwYELYe8&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share

… Gabbard’s statement is completely at odds with years of intelligence reporting that the office she now leads has provided to American policy makers and allies. U.S. intelligence has long assessed that Russia invaded Ukraine in the hopes of decapitating its leadership and installing a Kremlin-friendly government. When Gabbard portrays Zelensky as the aggressor, and rhetorically backs up Trump’s pressure campaign on Ukraine, she politicizes the intelligence community at the very highest level, something every allied official I talked with has long feared. Gabbard’s office didn’t respond to my request that she elaborate on her comments.

Seemingly the only country praising Trump’s strong-arming of Ukraine is Russia. After Zelensky left the White House, the Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told a Russian-state-television reporter, “The new administration is rapidly changing all foreign-policy configurations. This largely coincides with our vision.”

This, too, is an outcome the allies have dreaded. The officials I talked with debate why exactly Trump is so solicitous of Putin; they have for years. But there was little arguing this week that the United States seems to be switching sides.

I cannot imagine what it must be like to work for Gabbard, and suddenly declare black is white.

There must be so many career public servants wondering what the hell is going on. What can they support. When do they walk away. What are the consequences if they do. Can they covertly work to help those suffering.

At the top of that pyramid are maybe dozens of Republican Congressmen and women. People with decades of public service. People who have done much for their local or state communities. Being asked to stand by, silent - or worse, applauding - as their career of helping is ripped down.

People dying inside.

How long will they go along with this shit show, this cavalcade of lies? Maybe for ever. Maybe they will just announce they will not stand for re-election.

But given how tight the numbers are, they have a chance to make a difference. A chance to put the brakes on.

A chance for history to regard them as people who made the difference.

Or who stood aside. Did nothing.

Quite a turmoil going on in their hearts.

It’s interesting just how much more pro-Zelensky/Ukraine the British are compared with other European countries.



https://x.com/yougov/status/1897634189329022976?s=46

Yes, also much more anti-Trump. The shift in opinion towards the US here in Britain has been quite dramatic. I was quite surprised to see that UK opinion now seems more hostile to the US than opinion in, say, France.
Trump really triggers us here, I think it's something to do with the bullying and the vulgarity. From a British perspective Trump is like all the worst elements of American culture, distilled in one person. It's a shame because there is much to admire about the US but those days may now be gone.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/06/donald-trump-threat-to-peace-ukraine-talks-survey-western-europeans

It’s interesting just how much more pro-Zelensky/Ukraine the British are compared with other European countries.



https://x.com/yougov/status/1897634189329022976?s=46

Yes, also much more anti-Trump. The shift in opinion towards the US here in Britain has been quite dramatic. I was quite surprised to see that UK opinion now seems more hostile to the US than opinion in, say, France.
Trump really triggers us here, I think it's something to do with the bullying and the vulgarity. From a British perspective Trump is like all the worst elements of American culture, distilled in one person. It's a shame because there is much to admire about the US but those days may now be gone.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/06/donald-trump-threat-to-peace-ukraine-talks-survey-western-europeans

I think being able to experience Trump in our native language makes a big difference too.