Category Archives: Mr. Bumble

The curious case of Tommy Robinson

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Anyone who follows UK news will have noticed a series of stories about the imprisonment – wrongfully, his supporters would say – of Tommy Robinson for contempt of court.

In brief, he was found guilty of contempt after live streaming the arrival at the courthouse of a number of Muslim men accused of being part of a rape gang. Such is the passion his imprisonment has aroused, it is well-nigh impossible to find an impartial account of what happened. Try your own search to see what I mean.

Robinson, born Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon, founded the English Defense League, an organisation he left in 2013. He is a vociferous critic of Islam and is regarded as “far-right”, an epithet that is rife more with insult than meaning.

He has had a series of brushes with the law and had spent time in prison before this latest episode. He is a trifle rough around the edges, a characteristic that may have contributed more to his problems than the ideas he promotes, many of which are also held by the much more gentile Douglas Murry, for example, without attracting the wrath of the law.

Robinson was tried, found guilty and jailed for contempt within 5 hours of his being arrested, a feat that might make its way into the Guinness Book of Records as a speed record for British justice. Or injustice. He is now free on bail because, after an appeal, it was found that there were numerous procedural errors – his supporters would claim he was stitched up – in his trial.

Here is an interview with Robinson:

play-sharp-fill

As I mentioned above, Tommy Robinson is not smooth.

At the appeal, the Lord Chief Justice ruled that the law had not been applied fairly, a gross understatement if we are to believe Robinson.

Time will tell no doubt, but the mess confirms my suspicion developed in both ACoC/ANiC legal wranglings and my legal tussle with the thin-skinned Michael Bird: temporal justice is an elusive commodity, subject more to the whim of judicial predisposition than anything else.

As Blaise Pascal said in his Pensées:

Our magistrates have known well this mystery. Their red robes, the ermine in which they wrap themselves like furry cats, the courts in which they administer justice, the fleurs-de-lis, and all such august apparel were necessary; if the physicians had not their cassocks and their mules, if the doctors had not their square caps and their robes four times too wide, they would never have duped the world, which cannot resist so original an appearance. If magistrates had true justice, and if physicians had the true art of healing, they would have no occasion for square caps; the majesty of these sciences would of itself be venerable enough. But having only imaginary knowledge, they must employ those silly tools that strike the imagination with which they have to deal; and thereby in fact they inspire respect. Soldiers alone are not disguised in this manner, because indeed their part is the most essential; they establish themselves by force, the others by show.

When I was in Dublin a few years back, I came across this Georgian era statue of Lady Justice. It is unusual in that it is not blindfolded – signifying impartiality – but looks at Dublin Castle. This, in addition to the fact that at the time justice favoured the elite, gave rise to the following:

Lady Justice, notice her station:
Face to the castle and arse to the nation.

Not much has changed.

Grandmother loses custody of her granddaughter to sex offending father

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More here.

This is obviously, in a literal sense, a diabolical mess – one which the judge has made worse. As Blaise Pascal said in his Pensees:

Our magistrates have known well this mystery. Their red robes, the ermine in which they wrap themselves like furry cats, the courts in which they administer justice, the fleurs-de-lis, and all such august apparel were necessary; if the physicians had not their cassocks and their mules, if the doctors had not their square caps and their robes four times too wide, they would never have duped the world, which cannot resist so original an appearance. If magistrates had true justice, and if physicians had the true art of healing, they would have no occasion for square caps; the majesty of these sciences would of itself be venerable enough. But having only imaginary knowledge, they must employ those silly tools that strike the imagination with which they have to deal; and thereby in fact they inspire respect. Soldiers alone are not disguised in this manner, because indeed their part is the most essential; they establish themselves by force, the others by show.

To put it in today’s parlance: judges are frequently blithering idiots.

Calgary Muslim strangles daughter and serves no jail time

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From the Calgary Herald:

CALGARY – The Calgary mother who killed her teenage daughter by strangling her with a scarf more than three years ago will not have to spend a day in jail, a judge ruled on Thursday.

But, in suspending the sentence of Aset Magomadova and placing her on probation for three years, Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Sal LoVecchio said the penalty can still meet the ends of justice.

“At first blush (a suspended sentence) may sound like a get out of jail free card. It is not,” emphasized the judge.

Let’s be clear: even though the teenager in question was a “disgrace” to her Muslim family, this was not an honour killing. Perish the thought. The murderer – sorry, disciplinarian – in question was sponsored by an Anglican church who praised the “compassion” of the judge:

Marilyn Millions, one of Magomadova’s sponsors with St. James Anglican Church, said outside court she was relieved “at the compassion and mercy that has been shown” by the court.

In case there are any doubts, the CBC emphasises that this was definitely not an honour killing, merely a spot of parental frustration:

While Aset told a health worker that Aminat was a disgrace to their Muslim family, the Crown does not say this was an honour killing — something intended to restore the family’s reputation.

“I see this just as any other parent very frustrated with a very troubled teenager except it went too far,” said Vomberg.

In 1998 Joe Cleary from Ontario spent 2 days in jail for spanking his 5 year-old; presumably he could have avoided the 2 days in the clink if he had strangled his son instead:

DURHAM, ON, Nov 17 (LSN) Joe Cleary a father in Durham Ontario was jailed for two days and his family put through a gruelling court ordeal which lasted months and cost thousands of dollars all because he used spanking to discipline his five year old child. Last month Sun Media columnist Michael Coren reported that Cleary punished his son for having repeatedly kicked the family cat after being told not to.

Locked up in Ottawa

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A friend who volunteers for Ottawa Inner City Ministries emailed me about a recovering alcoholic who has been caught in the Kafkaesque machinery of the justice system:

Tom is a recovering alcoholic that will be celebrating seven years of sobriety in two weeks.  He works his 12 step program and is determined to stay clean.  He came to visit us, then volunteered, and then entered our work skills program.  He comes to the office four days a week to help: no job too big, no job too small, he does them all – with a cheerful heart.  He has a record but his probation ends in two short months – and he works hard at keeping clean.  He won’t even cross the street  without a walk signal.

Clean. Squeaky clean.  Pleasant, kind, hard-working, and a delight to be around. We have high hopes for Tom.

So one day, he doesn’t show up. A day, then two and more and then a week and we wonder where he is.  No way to contact him.  Finally we find him – in jail.

He is in jail right now, been there just over two weeks for “parole violation”.   For “panhandling”.  Reported to his Parole Officer (P.O.) by an “anonymous” person who called it in.  Over fourteen days in jail (and counting) with no help.  No lawyer.  No hearing.  No explanation.  Just “there”.

There are further instalments here.

Many churches spend their time petitioning government to help the poor while doing little themselves; this organisation is helping the poor in spite of a government that seems to be determined to undo its good work.