Arresting Protestors.

[shootist]

Not really. There are a lot of police so statistically one of them is bound to read a law book sooner or later and actually understand what is said in it.

There was a policeman in my year on my university law course. I reckon he must have been 35 or so at the time. He went on to be Commissioner of the Met.

He was a more diligent student than me, so I think it likely that he read a few law books.

You prove me correct then.

[atticus]

I'm delighted to have done so.

How many police officers do you think have read any Proust?

[shootist]

More than either of us might think, I suspect. But then having read Proust seems often to be a boast of a certain type of person who wishes to display their intellectual superiority while taking a break from signalling their virtue, so it might well fit into a few police libraries. A more pertinent question might be to ask who has read Proust and then done so a second time because they enjoyed it so much the first, but that would be difficult to veryify.

Returning to law books, I am still grinding my way slowly through "Reliance of the Traveller." It is very interesting trying to compare the sections on contracts, banking, and trading to see how they compare with current law. I am certainly no expert on those issues, but there seems to be some interesting and carefully thought out approaches.

[Hairyloon]

Sheffield council has finally admitted that they signed a contract which took away all of their own oversight powers. According to a Guardian report, the council is forbidden to go against Amey’s verdict on any tree— if they do, the tree’s maintenance is no longer covered by the contract. Since the council cannot afford to maintain the trees outside the contract, we now know why they have been so determined to fell beloved, valuable, rare, important trees against all reason and expert advice: they gave up their power to do otherwise when they signed the PFI contract.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/how ... mg00000004

[dls]

Sorry, but the article does not sound to be at all independent, and draws many one sided conclusions without even attempting to support it with evidence.

I was unsympathetic to the Council, but am lless and less so.

Double checking the paragraph appasrently justifying the report has ben corrected.

It appears o be a report based in an inaccurate report which still does not reveal its justification.

[Hairyloon]

The court has given its judgment in the Council’s application to commit Green Councillor Alison Teal to prison.

http://sheffieldgreenparty.org.uk/wp-co ... 2LS739.pdf

[Hairyloon]

Doesn't the fact that they're cutting trees in the middle of the darkest nights of the year suggest that they've got something very, very wrong?

[atticus]

None of us like this. This cutting down of trees seems unnecessary and brutal.

However, it has gone through the courts, and it seems cannot be stopped.

This council is now doing what it has said it will do. It knows that protests are being organised, with a view to preventing or hindering these actions. Dealing with those protests will take considerable additional resources, at public expense - Police, Council staff etc. So why not avoid that trouble, if they are determined to cut down these trees?

[Hairyloon]

However, it has gone through the courts, and it seems cannot be stopped.

Exactly what has gone through the courts? I know that somebody failed to get an injunction, but if that is the be all and end all of things then it seems to me that there is a niche market for half baked court cases designed to fail: having failed, they inhibit any further attempts.

So why not avoid that trouble, if they are determined to cut down these trees?

Because we are supposedly a democracy. That is the root of it. This council appear to have sold off all democratic accountability.

Why is there any need for a rush? It seems to me to be much like Brexit: they need to get it done, dusted and the money in the bank before people cotton on to what's really occurring.

[atticus]

Exactly what has gone through the courts?

This; in your words "the failed court action". See pages 1 and 2 of this topic.

They tried and failed to have a judicial review: https://www.judiciary.gov.uk/wp-content ... dgment.pdf

And I can remind you of this, on page 3.

https://www.judiciary.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/d92LS739-sheffield-cc-v-fairhall-crump-otrs-final-150817.pdf