British Justice does us proud!

[matgb]

There are some days, y'know, when the British legal system does us all proud. Two different stories today. Stripogram copper walks on offensive weapon rap | The Register:

Kennedy was dragged before the beak at Aberdeen sheriff court on the offensive weapons rap. However, Sheriff Kenneth Stewart ruled he had no case to answer.

Because arresting a strippogram for 'impersonating a police officer', being forced to drop those charges then chasing him for something else is a really good use of resources. But, much more importantly. BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Springer opera court fight fails:

two senior judges at the High Court said the 1968 Theatres Act prevented any prosecution for blasphemy in relation to public performances of plays - and the 1990 Broadcasting Act prevented any prosecution in relation to broadcasts.

They said it was reasonable to conclude Jerry Springer - The Opera "in context" could not be considered as blasphemous, as it was not aimed at Christianity, but was a parody of the chat show genre.

That's right, the courts have told "Christian" Voice director Stephen Green to go fuck himself--and this has to be a good thing, his extremist nonsense gives sensible people of faith a really bad name. More context on him and his censorship campaign at an old post of mine.

Comments

[tyrell.livejournal.com]

My comments on this earlier today.

Nice result, especially the High Court exempting theatres and cinema.

[miss-s-b.livejournal.com]

IAWTC leik whoa

[misscoollinda.livejournal.com]

It's nice to hear some real justice for a change. Thanks!

[tiredstars.livejournal.com]

What was it Stewart Lee said about the original blasphemy case? 'The judge threw it out, on the basis that it wasn't 1450.'
Something like that.

[tyrell.livejournal.com]

Bwahahaha!

[tiredstars.livejournal.com]

OMGWTF SHOCK HORROR DECENT PROGRAM ON CHANNEL 5 if you haven't seen it, Stewart Lee did a program about religion and free speech, Don't Get Me Started. It includes him talking to Alan Moore, who worships a Roman snake god called Glycon.

[tyrell.livejournal.com]

Alan Moore, who worships a Roman snake god called Glycon.

Yes, yes he does. Alan Moore talking about William Blake the other day was top.

[fearmeforiampink]

I quite like the comment I read, I think from one of the judges, saying that it'd been showing for X amount of time at the theatre in London, and society did not seem to have collapsed

[caramel-betty.livejournal.com]

Your later post made me remember I hadn't replied to this one.

The only downside, for me, of the case is that although it narrows the range of events for which blasphemy is a possible charge, I sincerely believe that the blasphemy offence should be ejected from the common law. We have outcry when someone is prosecuted in another country for offending someone else's god, but we still allow it in our country?