October 13, 2006
...AND AMERICANER...:
Harper targets repeat offenders (TENILLE BONOGUORE AND GLORIA GALLOWAY, 10/13/06, Globe and Mail)
Prime Minister Stephen Harper took a page out of tough U.S. justice legislation yesterday by announcing that his government will introduce a three-strikes law to force repeat violent and sexual offenders to justify why they should not be locked away indefinitely.Posted by Orrin Judd at October 13, 2006 10:16 AM
When one drafts legislation, he would do well to have it looked at from the perspective of an opponent. The new law must be ready to meet both judicial scrutiny, lawyerly mmanipulation and bureaucratic subversion.
Judges, lawyers and the corrections establishment: each dislike mandatory sentencing for a distinct reason, which reasons should be addressed and overcome.
Posted by: Lou Gots at October 13, 2006 1:09 PMIf one thinks legislation should serve that crew rather than society.
Posted by: oj at October 13, 2006 1:14 PMA law that can't be enforced, or enforced properly, is worse than no law at all, because it's simply an empty gesture.
Legislation may not be meant to serve "that crew", but unfortunately, they have a say. Failing to take into account their powers and tools of distortion and destruction is why so many citizen passed initiatives, which were never subjected to their attacks, go down in flames despite overwhelming passage by the people.