Government to let bin men fine you

THE government is to extend the power to issue on-the-spot fines to “authority” figures other than the police. They could include teachers, council workers and even RSPCA inspectors, who would be given the same right as police officers to mete out summary justice for offences expected to include vandalism, antisocial behaviour and theft.

The proposal is contained in clause 15 of the Police and Justice Bill. It enables John Reid, the home secretary, to give any “persons” the power to hand out fixed-penalty notices of £80 or £100. Reid would be able to do this whenever he deemed it “necessary” and without primary legislation in parliament.

There will be nothing worse than a bin man on a power trip handing out fines because you didn’t put 1 can in the right place. What’s next, politicians getting the right to issue fines? It could happen as Reid can give anyone the power without primary legislation.

I could just see Blair now. Going to Nick Griffin’s house and fining him for just about anything.

The only people that should be given the right to fine anyone are the courts. Not the police and certainly not your neighbourhood bin men.

If you get a fine without going to court take it to court and sue the government for violating your rights as our Bill of Rights says ‘all grants and promises of fines and forfeitures of particular persons before conviction are illegal and void’.

What Labour will be doing is destroying the Bill of Rights which contains the rights of every citizen in this country. What they are doing now is illegal when the police give out fines so they are already disregarding your rights. Don’t let them be destroyed even more.