After we were pleasantly surprised by the Met Police Chief stating that we should indeed be allowed to defend ourselves in our homes I fear that the fix is in. Today we have the DPP weighing in and exchanges in the Commons, even Tony Blair stating that perhpas the law might need changing. But here’s what is happening, the law will be changed to "reasonable force" and the use of "excessive force" will still be illegal. That’s really what we have already. Read the wholething to see how the issue is being slithered around. For the definition of what is reasonable and excessive will still be made by, well, by the "system". What we need is an absolute declaration in the law that by breaking in someone has put themselves at the risk of legal violence, not just whatever is decided, post-facto, is reasonable violence. As an example:
"If it is not excessive, it is reasonable," he said. Chasing an
intruder down the street, for example, and stabbing him could fall into
the category of self-defence.
This will be interesting news to one young man of my acquaintance who recently served 8 months for stabbing somone inside his own home, someone who had broken in.
Perhaps I’m being too cynical but I think there will be a cosmetic change in the law, one which leaves the decision of what is reasonable violence to be picked over after the event, and which leaves us basically in the same situation we are now. When confronted, having to second guess what the police and courts will think of our actions, rather than us being granted the absolute right to wallop the little buggers.
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