Why We Don't Need Anymore New Laws

As Bystander often points out on his Magistrate's Blog , we don't need any more new laws, the laws we need are actually already on the statute books and just need to be applied correctly.

Here is a good example of where this was the case, I hope the CPS lawyer gets recognition for showing initiative ( But knowing the current mindset of public servants probably not and will more likely get a warning.)

Cyclist jailed for seven months for fatal pavement crash

Darren Hall, a 20-year-old supermarket worker, was jailed for seven months at Dorchester Crown Court today for the obscure 19th century offence of "wanton and furious driving".

Witnesses said that Hall had been riding like a “like a bat out of hell” as he came down a hill in Weymouth, Dorset, and jumped on to a pavement to avoid a red traffic light on the evening of August 8 last year.

As he went round a blind bend, he saw Ronald Turner, 84, but was travelling too quickly to take evasive action. He knocked Mr Turnover over, causing him to fall into the road and suffer head injuries.

Sergeant Burden said that there is no specific offence of causing death by dangerous cycling. There was only careless or dangerous driving, which the Crown Prosecution Service considered to be "too minor".(emphasis mine)

Instead the CPS decided to use the "wanton and furious driving charge" under the Offences Against the Person Act of 1861, which predates the invention of the internal combustion engine and can be more easily used for incidents off the road.

The CPS deciding a charge is too minor, my word I've come over all giddy are we through the looking glass now, let's hope so.

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