VICTIMS AND THE LAW
Since when did being a victim of crime confer sainthood and the Wisdom of Solomon? I ask as this as now it seems to be the received wisdom. Over the weekend I heard from Hugh Grant, from Harriet Harman and Ed balls a reiteration of the prime ministers foolish statement that the test of any post Leveson legislation was whether it met with the approval of the victims. Well, no; the victims of the Tabloid crime machine suffered both grievously and grotesquely and it is extraordinarily difficult to imagine what families like the Dowler’s and the McCann’s have been through. However the perpetrators of the crimes against them are now thankfully being dragged through the courts. I do not think it wise to hand over the framing of future legislation to victims is in any way appropriate in a properly functioning liberal democratic society. [1] I have been a victim, I was mugged. The worst aspect was having my mobile phone stolen, since it contained contacts that I subsequently lost, ...