The benefit of the doubt (or if you prefer, the presumption of innocence) is one of the longest established principles in the common law. At it’s most blunt, the principle is expressed in Blackstone’s formulation: “better that ten guilty persons …
Monthly Archive: June 2009
Jun
29
Why opposing the blasphemy law is pointless
As is my habit, I stopped in a local store on the way home this evening to pick up a few essentials – milk, a bottle of orange juice to slake the thirst from the Summer heat, you know the …
Jun
26
Uncivil Partnerships
The Civil Partnership bill specifically prohibits any ceremony other than that before a civil registrar being recognised as valid. That means that unlike straight couples, gay couples can’t be legally united in a humanist ceremony (or by a religious minister, …
Jun
26
Wacko Jacko Heart Attacko
The toxicity of our celebrity obsession was reflected back at us by Jackson’s spectral and ruined face. The physical slicing, tucking and restructuring he endured was for what? For us. For our pound of flesh. We must live with that …
Jun
24
War Of Words: Why the Irish bloggetariat has yet to worry the commentariat
Mick ‘Slugger O’Toole‘ Fealty declared yesterday that ‘bloggers have won’ the argument with the commentariat, opinion formers who exert their influence through newspaper columns. Well, maybe in some parts of the world, but there’s scant evidence that battle has even …
Jun
23
Just Say No
‘All citizens shall, as human persons, be held equal before the law’, our constitution grandly proclaims. Those words are clear cut. Among other things, I take them to mean that everyone should be pay their taxes, with no distinction in …
Jun
22
Fixing the Bunreacht
There’s a constitutional amendment scheduled for October, to change our minds about the Lisbon treaty. This is an ideal opportunity for Dermot Ahern. He feels he must make blasphemy a crime, otherwise the people will go through the ‘costly and …
Jun
20
That Lisbon Non-Event
I arrived at Heathrow last night to find someone reading an Irish Independent front page announcing that a ‘Cowen-Brown rift deals blow to key Lisbon talks’. Happily, the impasse (which didn’t even make the inside pages in any British paper …