Four years, 52 dead, £100m - no convictions

[Razgovory]

Timmy: what makes you say the case was winnable?

Beeb: the way I learned it "beyond reasonable doubt" equates to 95% confidence, i.e. 19 guilty men go free for every one convicted.

I meant a winnable case in general, that the Brits weren't able to catch anybody involved in this attack and convict them is very disheartening.

Let's perhaps remember that the direct culprits blew themselves up, and it is difficult to prosecute a corpse.

And, rightly, proving conspiracy to commit a crime is harder than proving guilt of committing a crime.

Maybe we should wait and see what the public enquiries turn up first eh?

No more waiting!  We've waited enough.  We need reckless action.

[Slargos]

When people caught redhanded in the act of high seas piracy are let go without even a trial, and terrorists are set free on grounds of "reasonable" doubt, the system is failing.

Europe needs a new Strong Man.

Preferably white. But really, I will accept an Italian or Spaniard aswell.

[Ed Anger]

Europe needs a new Strong Man.

Preferably white. But really, I will accept an Italian or Spaniard aswell.

Might as well ask for a Greek greaseball then.

[Barrister]

It's that we have chosen that 100 guilty men should go free, for risk that one innocent man be convicted.

Blackstone said 10.  Benjamin Franklin said 100.  Aristotle said 1.  See generally "n Guilty Men."
http://www.law.ucla.edu/volokh/guilty.htm

What a bizarre link...

[Richard Hakluyt]

I'm quite pleased that the courts are still sufficiently independent to throw out the excessively dodgy cases that are being presented to them by the police. I guess if the government and police want to imprison random Pakistanis they'll just have to open an internment camp in South Georgia