A Law For The Rich and A Law For The Poor

After reading this little letter from a certain Geoff Naylor in the Belfast Telegraph today, I couldn't help but think that there is no silly thing otherwise about this issue.

There is indeed a law for the poor, which is quite common and a law for the rich, which is commonly used to block certain criminal entities of having to answer to their crimes.

In most countries, Mr Naylor writes, there is "the law the vast majority has to abide by and a law that permits the powerful to transcend this law." If you still remember the Mossac Fonseca "Panama 

Papers" trouble the world's 1% found themselves almost in hell for the issue.

You might say it's ambitious but in a perfect world, the law protects the rights of every individual as it is found in the principle that man is equal in the eyes of God.

But what God allows an imbalance in society that allows one man to trample against his fellowmen? Indeed, this is reality; I have accepted such reality but I will never accept the fact that there is just one set of laws governing the world.

Charges Against Parents of "Holidayed" Kids Dropped by County Court

The West Sussex County Council had dropped the case filed against a dozen parents who had taken their children on vacation.

About 18 cases that would see a fine against 18 couples who had taken their children a week away from schoolwork to go on vacation had been dropped after a High Court case in the Isle of Wright ruled in favour of the parent who refused to pay the fine.

According to a County Spokesperson:

"Our policy hasn't changed but we have withdrawn a small number of cases where one week's holiday was the only reason for non-school attendance."

In West Sussex, teachers are advised not to authorise any students' absence unless it was an "exceptional" circumstance, including but not limited to severe sickness.

Parents of children they wish to take out of school for longer periods must consult with the school headmaster. These includes holidays during term time. The headmaster would decide how many days a child could miss if the holiday leave is given.

In East Grinstead, the Sackville School Headmaster Julian Grant said "Here at Sackville, and in line with other local schools, we believe that attendance is an essential ingredient to a child's successful educational progress.

"Regular attendance with lessons missed kept to a minimum makes a key difference.

"Working with parents and families on this in a positive way is of the utmost importance. If there are exceptional reasons for absence, then we always consider these carefully on an individual basis within a culture of unashamedly high expectation."

Sharia Law Would Focus on Fairness And Equality for Women

Home Secretary Theresa May said Sharia Law and Courts would be refocused to achieve fairness and equality for all women.

The Home Office will conduct an independent review that would establish if Sharia law and courts in England and Wales have discriminated against women and if it is being "misused.

The review would re-focus Sharia law to integrate with its compatibility with UK laws.

Sharia councils had pushed to legitimise forced marriage and issue unfair divorces, an issue that the 

Home Office is deeply investigating.

Islamic and inter-religious studies from the University of Edinburgh Professor Mona Siddiqui would lead the review.

The regulation of Sharia law and courts is part of the UK's anti-extremism strategy, allowing the government to regulate the courts. The prevention of rogue Sharia courts would ensure women who may be abused by the courts are protected by the UK government. The councils have no legal powers in the United Kingdom and can only deal in civil and theological matters.

Upon receiving reports and evidence that some courts had mis-used the laws and had worked them into a discriminatory and unacceptable manner, the Home Office proceeded to create a fully independent review putting forward the rights and security for all UK citizens.

UK Will Ban 10-Pack Cigarettes and New Law Introduced To "Drab" Packaging

To curb cigarette smoking levels in the United Kingdom, the government will ban 10-pack cigarettes. Also, cigarette box packaging will be banned from having 'attractive' packaging. The boxes would have a uniform appearance covered with health warnings.

The 'standardisation' will ensure the packaging will have the same colour, opening mechanism and font. About 60 per cent of the casing will be covered by text and images with warnings and images of how smoking can affect your health.

By May 20, all cigarette manufacturers would have sold old stock of cigarettes.

May 15 the previous year, the EU Tobacco Products Directive had agreed to implement the new laws and policies on tobacco. The law would also ban flavoured and menthol tobacco.

The new laws were made in response to a review conducted by paediatrician Sir Cyril Chandler which guarantees that a change in packaging could create a "small dent" in the number of young people taking up smoking.

His research shows that young people smoke about 600 cigarettes per day.

Tobacco companies had heavily opposed the decision. However, the ECJ ruled the TPD was lawful and implemented the changes.

The 10-pack ban would also reduce the number of youth smokers by increasing the prices of tobacco.

Brexit Economic Impact Could Cost Families About £4300 Per Year

The economic challenge of the Brexit, following plummeting exports, rising prices and a possible recession, could mean funding for the NHS, schools and defence would be reduced. To compensate for such, the Government would be forced to take about £4300 families per year as the entire country adjusts.

This Monday, BoE Chancellor George Osborne would publish a landmark Treasury report that would warn Britain about the economic perils of a Brexit.

Voting to leave, the report would say, would mean "permanent" economic damages leaving Britain in a poorer economic state "for decades to come."

Speculations include a 6 per cent shrunk economy by 2030.

Meanwhile, Vote Leave and Eurosceptic Minister Chris Grayling said the document is only spurring "doom and gloom" from the treasury.

However, Osborne said Vote Leave campaigners are "economically-illiterate" and "not being honest".

The chancellor pointed out that the poorest people in Britain would have trouble with the economic shock of the exit.

He said the UK's negotiating hand outside the EU is far different from its reach when backed by the European Union. About 44 per cent of UK exports head to EU countries. About 8 per cent of EU's imports head to the United Kingdom.

Hundreds Of UK Lawyers Says IPB 'Not Fit For Purpose'

Hundreds of UK lawyers have signed an open letter addressed to the UK government that declares the Investigatory Powers Bill as "not fit for purpose".

The 200 lawyers who signed the cases have a fraction of high-profile QCs involved in cases where evidence of the new powers' inefficiency has been present.

According to the letter "a law that gives public authorities generalised access to electronic communication compromises the essence of the fundamental right to privacy and may be illegal."

According to the letter, it fails to include verification of "reasonable suspicion" for an instance of data interception and does not need a demonstration or evidence of criminal involvement or a threat to national security for the use of powers.

Meanwhile, the Conservative government has pushed the IP Bill as having passed their expectations. They said it has an 'adequate balance between privacy and security."

The Labour party said it will abstain from the second reading. The party also threatened to vote against the bill if significant changes are not made. The Liberal Democrats and Scottish National Party are heavily opposed to the bill.

Tech companies have warned that the IP bill could compromise existing communication technologies because of the use of a backdoor. The new bill also threatened tech companies of arrest or suspension if they will not comply with a hack-on-demand.

UK Government Dropped Passage On Obligation To Uphold International Law

The Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) is to launch a legal case against the UK government for abandoning 13 words that could alter its decisions regarding the use of military force abroad. The Ministerial Code had been missing the section that indicated all ministers have an "overarching duty" to fulfil Britain's international agreements.

Lawyers from the GCHR said key issues involved decisions about involvement in international conflict , the UK's adherence to human rights legislation and the impact of International court rulings on British Law.

According to GCHR's Melanie Gingell:

“We cannot call these governments to account if at the same time western governments are diminishing their commitments to international law and the separation of powers.

“Removing international law from the code weakens ministers’ accountability to parliament and clearly signals a watering down of the UK’s respect for human rights law. I hope the court will recognise the profound consequences of removing just 13 words from ministers’ duties.”

Former Government Legal Service Head Paul Jenkins said:

“It is disingenuous of the Cabinet Office to dismiss the changes to the ministerial code as mere tidying up. As the government’s most senior legal official I saw at close hand from 2010 onwards the intense irritation these words caused the PM as he sought to avoid complying with our international legal obligations, for example in relation to prisoner voting.”