Another get out of jail free card? (14 Jun, 2018)

[aardvark_admin]

This column is archived at: https://aardvark.co.nz/daily/2018/0614.shtml

Why aren't the people of NZ rioting in the streets that there is no justice when agents of the state choose to break the laws which are put in place to protect us?

Isn't it just a joke, and a giant waste of money to create laws which, when broken, carry no penalties for the offenders -- or even worse, place the burden of compensation on the shoulders of those who are supposed to be protected (ie: taxpayers)?

Will anything change if we don't start striking out the term "unlawful" and replace it with "illegal" -- charging the offenders with a crime that is punishable by stiff fines and/or a term of imprisonment?

Surely we ought not be handing out a universal "get out of jail free" card to every agent of the state, for when they decide to exceed their legal powers -- to the cost of those who they are meant to be protecting.

[phill]

exactly what can you do

when the snivel servants draw up legislation effectively giving themselves immunity for any and all of their actions no matter how legal, illegal or incompetent
and those elected representatives we send to parliament are sucked into enacting those laws ... usually when an overreaction to a one off set of circumstances is prevailing
at that point its to late ...
all we can do is make a noise
if that fails then kill some of them

well ok the noise hasn't worked .......

[hagfish]

We all lose because it undermines our respect for the police, which undermines their ability to maintain the fabric of society.

It's been demonstrated that 'mistakes were made' in the manner with which the police harassed and threatened Mr Hager. I'm sure they'll put these 'learnings' to good use, the next time someone wants to poke the hornets' nest, and show us all how the sausages are made.

As some of us know all too well, holding the authorities' feet to the fire does not win friends in high places. It can lead to 'regrettable over-reach' on the part of the underlings ordered to lay down the smack. Whenever the IRD or the police are used as a means of coercion, we all lose, but imprisoning a zealous underling won't reach those giving the orders.

[Perry]

To be honest, I'm surprised that people aren't marching in the street over this...

It's called apathy (aka she'll be right)

Therefore, when any of these "trusted" and privileged agents choose to break the laws under which they must operate, they deserve punishment of an even greater magnitude than would be applied to the general populace.

As I recall, theft as a servant carries greater penalties than theft.

Seems like a good model to follow.