NEET Trick

Another offence is to be created, I learn from the Queen's Speech. The official age for leaving education will be raised to 18 - God help the poor teachers who have to implement this! - and at the same time those not in education, employment or training (NEETs) will be hit by a fine.
Unfortunately, NEETs will not be eligible for any benefit payments and will not be generating any income of their own, so out of what will they be fined? It is after all incumbent upon us to set any fine at a level which is affordable by the offender.
It feels like yet another example of the tendency of this government to declare anything of which it disapproves to be a crime.

Enough of sticks; what about a few carrots?

Scrambled Laws

This article in yesterday's Independent gives a graphic example of the mess that is created by the government's kneejerk rush to legislation on whatever happens to be the hot law and order topic of the moment.

From the heart!

Just a short plea to Gordon Brown, Jacqui Smith and Jack Straw; please, just for one parliament, so far as the judicial system is concerned, accept that we already have enough laws available to deal with all the offences that come our way. We'd just like time to familiarise ourselves with them before a new set comes along.