How can Jack defend himself?

Jack Straw’s speech at Bournemouth the other week contained a surprise: the Labour government having rejected amendment to the law of self-defence a couple of years back, now the new Lord Chancellor says

the law on self-defence works much better than most people think, but not as well as it could or should.

The justice system must not only stand up, but be seen to be standing up for people if they do the right thing as good citizens.

So I intend urgently to review the balance of the law to ensure that those who seek to protect themselves, their loved ones, their homes and other citizens, know that the http://www.nflauthenticjersey.com/ law really is on their side – that we back those who do their duty.

Well, well. I’ve not got a lot of time for this, I must say. I rather agree with Ruthie. This is a cynical attempt to seem to be changing something – to signal that the government is taking action – when all it’s doing is making more unnecessary laws. I can quite understand why people feel the police aren’t on their side in self-defence situations: I myself was attacked a few years ago, and when I grabbed my attacker in front of police officers in an attempt to have something done, was arrested for affray and accused of a racist assault. But when the police act as stupidly as that, it doesn’t matter what the law says.

I agree with what Charles Clarke decided in 2005: the current law is sound. This is a crisis of confidence in the police, caused by bad police practice – and only senior police officers can sort it out.