Monday 23 May 2011

Ryan Giggs

Finally, Mr Giggs has been named in parliament as the footballer who has an injunction against Big Brother (how ironic) wannabe contestant Imogen Thomas.

As I've blogged before, and like many others, I couldn't care less about Mr Giggs' personal life, but I do care that his actions have led to the possibility of journalist Giles Coren being arrested in secret, tried in secret (without a jury) and jailed in secret - for the first time in British history.

Oh what a wonderful mess the European inspired Human Rights Act has made of our justice system.

6 comments:

  1. Dunno ... the idea of Giles Coren being taken out of circulation is enormously attractive.

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  2. It's the modern day Bastille. And that arrangement didn't end too well for the powers that be, did it?

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  3. @Richard And there was me thinking that your idea of 'taken out of circulation' had something to do with lamp posts ;-)

    @JiC For all the tittle tattle that this is, it has been rather amusing to see a wealthy footballer who thinks he's above the law - always getting his own way - suddenly come a cropper in bigger boys games. I cannot believe that he was 'advised' to sue an American company. His lawyers are seriously laughing all the way to the bank.

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  4. TBF: sorry but I can't resist the question:

    And how many giggs of material will this story generate?

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  5. I don't understand how the Human Rights Act is responsible for this outcome?

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  6. @WfW Never one to resist a bad pun ;-)

    @Tim Not sure precisely which outcome you're referring to but briefly:

    The Human Rights of '98 incorporated into British Law the European convention of HR. Article 8 is a right to privacy whilst (revealing lower down the list) Article 10 is a right to free speech. At the time it was made clear free speech should have more importance. Judges have predictable taken a different view - this has lead to the current farce. Regarding Giles Coren, because we can find out what footballer he mentioned thus it would breach the injunction to name him - the whole judicial process would've had to have been done in secret.

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