Thursday, February 04, 2016

JOHN CHUCKMAN COMMENT: BRITAIN'S REDUCTION OF CHERISHED LEGAL TRADITIONS TO SERVE AS CHEAP PROPAGANDA - THE LITVINENKO VERDICT RESEMBLES A JUDGE DECLARING SOMEONE A WITCH


COMMENT POSTED TO AN ARTICLE IN RUSSIA INSIDER


Truth be told, there's nothing to reject.

All thinking people with any respect for due process are insulted by a finding of “probably guilty."

The term is an insult to western traditions of jurisprudence. It’s more than a little like a judge declaring someone a witch.

You are either guilty, or you are innocent. Always and everywhere. And you can only be found guilty in a proper judicial setting with legitimate evidence whose chain of possession is proved, cross examinations by two sides, and a jury of your peers.

That is supposed to be our most cherished tradition in law.

Yet here are high officials with somber faces in Britain pretending they are pronouncing meaningful words in an inquiry lacking every single one of these requirements.

It is shameful people would so compromise themselves and their values just to make a brief propaganda point.