Downing Street Says » Reasonable Force

Asked what first prompted the Prime Minster to take the law on self defence further, the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman (PMOS) replied there was a series of cases in the Autumn that led to this issue becoming high profile in the media and therefore, it was clearly sensible to see if there was a problem. There did seem to be agreement that there was some confusion amongst the public as to what was legal, which needed to be clarified. This was also the opinion of the Government, ACPO and the CPS, who have stated that clarification was needed, rather than new legislation. The PMOS pointed journalists to ACPO’s and the CPS’s recent statements on the matter, that said they believed that a clarification to the law, rather than a change would help reassure the public.

Asked how the clarifications were going to be explained to the public, i.e. were leaflets going to be distributed, the PMOS said it was a matter for the Home Office to take the lead on. The PMOS stressed that the results from an informal survey carried out showed that the examples when householders had been prosecuted were very rare, and that the law as it stood at the moment did allow people to defend themselves, and did allow for reasonable force.

Asked if the Prime Minister was aware of the Daily Mail’s campaign on extended opening hours, and what his decision on the subject was, the PMOS said that the differences between the two issues was that in the case of self defence, the police believed that there was public confusion, and equally, we did have the prospect of the Mercer Bill, so it was sensible to carry out a review. In the case of the extended opening hours for bars and pubs, the Prime Minister believed the arguments had been gone through at the time of debate.

Asked if the clarification to the self-defence law would have legal force, the PMOS replied that what was important was how the law was interpreted, which was why new guidance was being issued. He clarified that this was not a decision the Government had reached by itself, but rather one that had been reached after consulting ACPO and the CPS.

Asked if there was going to therefore be new guidance for judges, the PMOS said people should speak to the Home Office for further information.

Asked if it was an "uphill struggle" if 99% of the public want the law changed as it was confusing, the PMOS said what was important was to take advice from those who were enforcing the law. Legislation did not happen simply for the sake of satisfying an opinion poll.

2 Comments »

"Legislation did not happen simply for the sake of satisfying an opinion poll."

WHAT?

That is all that governments do these days –
Dunblane = poorly implemented knee jerk legislation.
Dangerous Dogs Act = poorly implemented knee jerk legislation.
Hunting with Dogs Act = vote buying.

What is wrong with TB has he really lost it, is he really going to blow votes away towards the Conservatives over such an open and shut issue?
Get a wiggle on Tony – there is still time before May to pass some more crap knee jerk legislation.
Comment by Roger Huffadine — 13 Jan 2005 on 6:04 pm | Link
2 of those Acts you mentioned (Dangerous Dogs, a truly awful piece of legislation, and Dunblane) were Tory weren’t they?
Hunting with dogs though, cynical Labour MP vote buying.
Comment by Gavin Whenman — 13 Jan 2005 on 7:26 pm | Link

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» Wednesday, January 12, 2005

Reasonable Force

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