New Labour continues to attack rule of Law

Not the horrible 3 months detention for no reason at all laws that New Labour is pushing through, the latest twists in that one has been covered better elsewhere but a smaller but far more wide ranging, attack on civil liberties.

Wheel clamping and vehicle impounding could be used as an alternative to minor motoring offences going to court, ministers have proposed.

TV licence and council tax offences could also be fined by mail under plans to remove millions of offences from the magistrates court system.

Currently speeding and other on the spot fines are not actually legal and are a breach of the Bill of Rights and Magna Carter, they get around it by claiming that paying the fine is a way of avoiding going to court. You know, slip them a few bob and the whole problem disappears. State sanctioned corruption in other words. But this goes even further, since the issuing of fines will no longer even be a job for the police (Traffic Wardens are part of the police force, if not proper police officers) but is being farmed out to other agencies so that they can collect the maximum amount of revenue be as efficient as possible.

The BBC and TV Licensing Authority may be given new powers to issue their own summonses for licence dodging.

Which in the words of Oliver Heald, the Conservative shadow constitutional affairs secretary

"This will make them into judge, jury and executioner," he said. "The administration of justice is a matter for the state, not independent organisations with a financial interest like the BBC."

Another stupid New Labour attack on freedom. Far more minor than most that they are trying, but still another little chip out of the ancient freedoms enjoyed by citizens of this country.