Only in Britain.
It turns out you can draw a life sentence under a law that forbids anyone from advocating the abolition of the monarchy. It's right there in the Treason Felony Act of 1848. It doesn't matter if you suggest that abolition be effected peacefully or constitutionally. If you put it in writing it's an act of treason and you can be banged up in HMPrison for the rest of your natural life.
The good news is that the Brits have repealed the Vagrancy Act of 1824 under which it was an offence to be an "incorrigible rogue."
As you well know Harper already has ideas. Just imagine what will be in the next omnibus bill if the Safe Act passes in the US. Monkey see monkey do!
ReplyDeleteThe extraordinary powers the state has already claimed in the name of the "war on terror" will only grow stronger the longer we let them get away with it. Harper still has nearly two years to further strip away our once sacred constitutional freedoms.
And the Liberals will not turn things around, neither I suspect would today's NDP. More's the pity, we once had a great nation didn't we?
I profoundly regret having to agree, Elliott. I don't have confidence that either opposition party would restore our rights and freedoms post-Harper.
ReplyDeleteThis "five eyes" business, harnessing the spy services of the Anglosphere, is truly insidious. As we've seen of late, it's not only intelligence sharing, it's collaborative spying. Even New Zealand joined in. Why?
Dang, where is that 1824 law when we really need it? We could get rid of all those incorrigible rogues in the PMO and the cabinet, not to mention the PM himself.
ReplyDelete"This "five eyes" business, harnessing the spy services of the Anglosphere, is truly insidious."
ReplyDeletealmost as insidious as the final giveaway that we now have a State Police operating in the open - the charge against the adscam guy laid four years late to divert attention away from harpo's behaviours