 |
| Norman Scarth |
Very briefly can I draw your attention to a petition which is being publicised on Captain Ranty's blog. If you read what he has to say on the plight of an 86 year old ex-serviceman who has been incarcerated without legal representation or medication you cannot help to be disgusted of the spite of some of our politicians and judges.
There is no point of me repeating the details of this case but I feel duty bound to direct you to it.
Thanks Bry.
ReplyDeleteI don't see how they can keep him incarcerated much longer. The outrage is building.
CR.
http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=6179743&postID=8875399615614810753&page=1&token=1314021077681
ReplyDeleteBritish Themis against WWII veteran
ReplyDeleteTags: World, Society, Norman Scarth, Commentary
Sergei Sayenko Aug 19, 2011 17:43 Moscow Time
Court. Photo: EPA
RUSSIA TODAY
The London High Court ruled on Thursday that British WWII veteran Norman Scarth, sentenced to six months in prison for audio recording in court, will remain in custody.
The 86-year-old was put behind bars in the city of Leeds after he used a sound recording device during a court hearing, which is against the law in Britain. While admitting the breach of law, Scarth and his supporters also pointed to a disproportionately harsh verdict against the British veteran, who has already sent a plea for mercy to Queen Elizabeth.
A prominent human rights activist, Scarth was imprisoned on July 25, 2011 for making a recording of a Royal Court hearing in Bradford. Scarth, who has hearing problems, explained that he decided to use his dictation device after he discovered the absence of head-phones in the court. He was quickly sentenced to six months in a prison for serious offenders later that day. Since then, he has been denied all visitors and medical aid – something that infuriated his supporters who continue to demand his immediate release. More than 900 people have already signed a petition to this effect, which was posted on the Internet earlier this week.
The Scarth case and the petition were then submitted to an appeals court, which said its “No” to the veteran’s release on Thursday. Right now, Scarth’s supporters are calling for a public probe into the matter.
During the Second World War, Scarth was a crewmember of the Matchless destroyer, which took part in the so-called northern convoys, tasked with delivering military hardware and food to the Soviet ports of Arkhangelsk and Murmansk. In this regard, Scarth certainly deserves to be pardoned, but meddling in Britain’s domestic affairs is not up our alley, of course, our political commentator says.
That the London court refused to release Scarth on bail really raises eyebrows, our commentator adds, pointing to the court’s soft sentences in relation to those taking part in recent riots in London and other British cities. Those public enemies were freed on bail in a move that our commentator says indicates Britain’s backsliding on democracy.
The past seven months have seen a whole array of human rights abuses in Britain, which notably still remains in the grip of the phone-hacking scandal related to the News of the World tabloid. Adding fuel to the public fire was the recently declassified information about tortures used by British special services against suspected terrorists. As for the Scarth case, it once again confirms the fact that something is wrong with British society, which Prime Minister David Cameron said should be “repaired” as soon as possible.
anajinn:replyDeleteOn Mon, 22/8/11, Christopher Fogarty wrote:
ReplyDeleteFrom: Christopher Fogarty <
Subject: Norman Scarth: Hero; from WW2 to Now
To: "Mary O'Sullivan" <
Date: Monday, 22 August, 2011, 7:06
Tonight, here in Chicago, RT TV (Russia Today TV) aired a 3-
minute report on Norman Scarth in England. Though a heroic
participant in convoying ships on the Murmansk Run in WW2
and the Scapa Flow naval battle that sank the German warship
Scharnhorst at great loss of life including many of his mates,
Norman has been persecuted for the past few decades by his
own Crown gov't.
The oath of officers of Britain's judicial system is to uphold the
monarch, not justice; so very few litigants vs. Crown ever get
justice. After WW2 Norman operated a riding stables. A politically
-connected client developed a complaint against Norman, and
though it was a civil matter, not criminal, the police were wielded
against Norman, and Norman lost in court. Failing to get justice
in Britain, Norman took his case to the European Court for Human
Rights, pro se, and won. That court also ordered member nation
Britain to cease its practice of secret trials; that trials in Britain
thenceforth would have to be public affairs.
The British judiciary frequently violates that law - it still holds
secret courts. Worse; Norman became a marked man; from then on,
he has been framed repeatedly by crooked police and judges. They
evicted him, violently, from his house, in what was actually a civil
matter. A crooked judge sentenced him to prison and later ordered
him to a hospital for the criminally insane whence it was unlikely he
would exit alive. But a few honest psychiatrists refused to inject him
with the psychotropic solutions that would have made him a zombie,
and successfully demanded his release.
Since his release Norman has become a critic of judicial corruption
and has championed other victims of it. Partly deaf (at 85 years of
age) while attending the trial of another victim of injustice, Norman
turned his audio-recording machine on so as to listen to it later
with the volume turned up. Thought Britain infamously spies on
its own people with cameras covering all public places, and with listening
devices also common, at the one event that most needs to be recorded,
trials, the judge imposed another prison sentence on Norman for trying
to record the trial. The judge's insistence on secrecy in his courtrooom,
is especially corrupt due to the routine, ex post facto changes British
courts makes to trial transcripts.
Norman is a brilliant and energetic champion of democracy with whom
I've maintained a correspondence for the past twenty years. Mary and
I have met him in London where we pursued justice for another victim
of blatant Crown corruption against Ex-Limerickman Patrick Cullinane.
Tonight's RT report on Norman was crucial to the success of his efforts
for democracy; in that the British news media were blacking out all
of Norman's exemplary efforts. I believe that this single report, being
so well done, is a major step toward demolishing the pervasive corruption
in Britain's judiciary. Also, due to RT's report, we expect that Norman's
time in prison will be shortened.
Chris and Mary
CHRIS FORGARTY WRITES FOR THE IRISH AMERICAN NEWS
There is little doubt that Norman Scarth appears to be a political prisoner. Owing to personal commitments I have had little time to research his background but I have now read up on Norman. He really has been a pain in the neck to the legal and political professionals. Having said that he must have realised the narrow line he was treading even though a truly democratic system should tolerate freedom of speech. What he has done is expose the spite of the judges if you challenge with their edicts. No mention of Human Rights here then?!
ReplyDeleteYes. He did realize. He is a very brave man and human rights campaigner.
ReplyDeleteYes it takes a lot of courage to challenge the government almost single handed. I think what appalls most people is his age. When teenage criminals are being spared jail for a variety of violent offences it seems insane that you jail an elderly patriot because he doesn't agree with you! They could be jailing more than half the population.
ReplyDelete