I hate to intrude in this very ferocious debate! But then, may I just put in a little vague ideas. I appologise for going off track.

Inadequacies in the English legal system? Well, this is the legal system that set the ball moving in many a nation.

From my variety experience in this area, I would contend that if the system is taking too much delay, then there is a problem. Next, if judges can be influenced with money and women, there is a problem. If there is callousness in the judicial and prison bureaucracy that takes human values in a most silly manner, then again there is a problem. Along with it, if the police are also corrupt, then it can have deep social repercussions.

Moreover if the lawyers have turned it into a sort of small-scale minting industry, then the whole concept of judiciary has gone awry.

One of the legendary problems quoted about English legal system was that it is very technical. Now this point really needs debate. For, my experience is that actual justice cannot be arrived at solely through razor sharp technical dissection of arguments. There is need for a bit of humane understandings.

Further, there is need to bear in mind that a minor amount of technically criminal moods exist in everyman. And some of it is connected to an individual’s urge to indulge in a bit of adventure; this can creep out in the unavailability of an acceptable area to vent out this mood. And it can be borne in mind that all crimes can have differences in hue, starting from light, through medium, and to dark. So, when punishing an offence, instead of implanting the full fury of the act and section, in the legal code, an understanding that the lighter versions of the crime, can be condoned, after subjecting the individual to counselling, might be good.

A variety of moods exist in the same person, and certain persons do get programmed in compulsive behaviours, due to certain strange experiences. When imprisoning a person for long periods, the nation should take this understanding into consideration.

If all so-called criminals are of purely destructive value, how come the delinquent elements of England came to build the nation called Australia?

If there is an increase in criminal activities, that disturbs peace-loving persons, then there can be a need to take urgent steps to seek out the real factors that makes a man’s mood restless.

Persons with a disposition for adventurous activities can be channelled to dissipate their excess mental energy in some areas of action, where adventure, thrill, danger, and suspense is a way of life. And with much positive returns to society!

(A government sponsored physical activity camp of one-year duration for interested persons, imparting a lot of opportunity to dissipate vagrant physical energy and shady mental moods, could be considered. It might really bring down the amounts spend on prison upkeep).

Quote: Oldfred: Smacking Children

Another reason why we had less crime when I was younger was because we had REAL punishments on the statute books such as Approved Schools, Borstal Institutes and something called Corrective-Training if my memory serves me right, which was a form of Boot-Camp, only you went there for a minimum of 2 years.

And yes, at the age of 18 you had your National Service to look forward to.

Oh and when we left school at the age of 15 we were working the following week.