Justice run by media? A police officer accused of rape should NOT be remanded in custody. How is he going to get evidence of his innocence (if he is innocent)? There is only one reason he's in prison - because Judges know media will crucify them if they allow him bail.

I cannot stress how serious this is. When a simple unconnected case influences judicial decisions, we as a society are in real trouble.

It’s the police’s job to obtain evidence of his innocence, but you and I both know that they don’t do that.
Remanding in custody puts the accused out of the way giving the police an advantage as they build the case against him.

Exactly Anne; I have no idea whether he's innocent, guilty or, as is usually the case, somewhere in between. But the time has come for a very high profile cop or politician to say we MUST have balance from police officers.

Yes one can only hope that (unreported so far as I can see) there is a reason (such as flight risk) that he has been remanded otherwise this is naked politics.

The loss of the independence of the judiciary as you say would be disastrous; it is a keystone of our constitution. The judiciary were absent (Lord Sumption is a retired judge but made a noble effort) in questioning the basis for and legality of lockdowns as well.

I would as an aside add that as well as the judicuary public figures not daring to question the status quo on media driven issues - from lockdowns to this issue - is also concerning. I can only assume this has happened because so many otherwise intelligent figures have been silent; I assume through fear that new media in particular will destroy them.

ti

I really hate this WYOT - yes he could be a flight risk or potentially try to intimidate the claimant... oops false accuser... oops victim. But there could be restrictions placed. I fear it is precisely as I thought; reaction to media coverage of the Couzens affair. If there had been no media coverage (as there normally is not - unless the victim is young, pretty and female) he'd be automatically granted bail.

Love this.

JK2006 wrote:
If there had been no media coverage (as there normally is not - unless the victim is young, pretty and female) he'd be automatically granted bail.

You are right and the more I think about it the more concerned I get too. He could as you say have had restrictions: now they can use electronic tags to basically "remand" someone in their home. He could have been made to sign in at a Police station 3 times a day.

The presumption should always be for bail.

So what was the reason to deny bail to a man who may be innocent?

No one will pick it up, of course, because it is "good" to be seen to be against rape. New social media will crucify anyone who "defends him" and fail to draw the distinction that it is defence of our fundamental rights to a fair trial & the presumption of innocence, rather than a defence of rape or an individual.

Convicted before he is tried by a jury; even if found innocent in the end. The media really is out of control and it is hard to see a way to reverse this.

Brave and great leaders are called for.

Would an unrestricted ankle tag work instead of jail for those cases?

JK2006 wrote:
Love this.


Looks like my partner chatting to her neighbours every afternoon.

Ryan’s Daughter springs to mind. In the old days, a few narrow minded tongues wagging exaggerated, misleading or false claims could cause as much devastation within a village or small community as the media is now doing on a national or global scale.

this worries me in that- after the horrible recent murder case and media speculation and gossip it's assumed all police accused must be guilty. Of something.

The media has always intimidated, or tried to intimidate the judiciary and they often succeed.

And all they want is a Good Story.