John Cooper QC And Prof. John Fitzpatrick, On Law - 2008

Battle of Ideas: Too Many Laws? 

Speakers: John Cooper (00:05:34 to 00:18:04), Prof John Fitzpatrick (00:18:10 to 00:28:45).

Chair: Tessa Mayes

"In recent years British society has become increasingly litigious.

Both the government and the public increasingly turn to the law to resolve problems.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has beaten even his predecessor's record, introducing 2,823 new laws during his first year in office. This is the highest record for law-making by anyone at Number 10, and 40% higher than the annual average created by Margaret Thatcher.

Meanwhile, disputes between neighbours, and often trivial harassment cases, are increasingly likely to come to court. This legalistic approach to social and political problems is causing disquiet, however. Critics question whether fines or imprisonment are always the answer to interpersonal problems.

Questions are being raised about the impact new laws are having on British justice, and the individuals' relationship to the state and to each other.

The use of the law for political ends is also said to be corrupting the criminal justice system, with the abolition of double jeopardy (so that the accused can now be tried twice), proposals to increase the detention without trial of terrorist suspects to 42 days and the rise of race and religious hate laws.

A drive to increase the conviction rate in cases such as rape, the increased prominence of the victim in harassment law and the trial process are also attracting criticism as well as support. Are we overburdening the law with social and political problems, and undermining it in the process?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqgIZb7pzow

http://www.battleofideas.org.uk/index.php/2008/session_detail/1492

Too Many Laws 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igXIiWaMPrM

*****

John Cooper QC

http://www.john-cooper.info

http://www.25bedfordrow.com/john-cooper-qc/practice-overview.asp

https://twitter.com/John_Cooper_QC

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cooper

http://www.battleofideas.org.uk/index.php/2008/speaker_detail/1519 

Prof. John Fitzpatrick

http://www.kent.ac.uk/law/people/academic/Fitzpatrick,_John.html

http://www.debatingmatters.com/people/john_fitzpatrick

http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/john-fitzpatrick/b/4b9/99a 

http://www.battleofideas.org.uk/index.php/2008/speaker_detail/995