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Either the CPS do not have the evidence or some political muscle has been used to induce them to drop the case.??
Either the CPS do not have the evidence or some political muscle has been used to induce them to drop the case.??
He said: "As part of the review, the context of the use of the words alleged in this case was reconsidered, and we have decided that, although the same words used in other contexts could in theory satisfy the criteria for "threatening, abusive or insulting", it is unlikely that a court would find that they were in the context of the three particular cases in question."
What I would deem more likely is that they want to make clear the word "Yid" is NOT acceptable in all contexts - i.e. if Chelsea start chanting "Yids, go to Hell" or something tomorrow they could still be prosecuted. But in this context, it is fine.Just been reading the BBC's new article on this and I note the CPS have made this statement.....
This is particularly interesting and they aren't required to offer such a statement. Under the circumstances I would say that such a statement has really thrown this into the air. While, if you read between the lines, they are clearly saying in this paragraph that future prosecutions may be possible, at the same time they've effectively offered up a rod for their own back by laying the groundwork for an argument that chanting Yid Army doesn't amount to a racial attack. In future all people will have to do would be to quote this paragraph if they got any shit from police for chanting Yid Army and a CPS case would be undermined from the start - well, unless the law itself were changed.
I wouldn't go that far. They statement specifies "in these three cases". It doesn't give a free licence for Spurs fans to use it however they want. I would be inclined to agree that it does leave the door open to go after the likes of Chelsea fans, but then, at the same time, that raises the question of why there has been a failure to do so.What I would deem more likely is that they want to make clear the word "Yid" is NOT acceptable in all contexts - i.e. if Chelsea start chanting "Yids, go to Hell" or something tomorrow they could still be prosecuted. But in this context, it is fine.
Racist. Big noses are not deformities.I would take Baddiel by the balls and drag him into court and do him for deformation of character
They are good for sniffing wine.!!Racist. Big noses are not deformities.
I will agree that it seems the CPS was and will continue to test the waters with this. My (and the majority of people I've spoken too) main gripe with this is why is it that spurs fans are targeted first? Why are we in the preposterous position where there was 3 spurs fans arrested and going to court while west ham fans at the time was racially abuse those being arrested?
I'd be willing to have a debate on whether we should drop Yid from our vocabulary. Only after we stop having anti-semetic abuse thrown at us consistently at games, in pubs and online
Smoked Salmon suggest there might be a chance they could just be warning people so they can arrest them later indiscriminately (He did not endorse this idea just entertained it). As I will constantly say they need to warn you by law. Believe it or not this is a minor offence so you need to be warned over your behavior.Friends of mine today shouted 'Yid army' going into the ground and got told by the o.b. to come to one side once they'd got in/past the first line of stewards.
o.b. saying it could be classed as an offence etc. if someone's offended he could be in trouble etc. talking shit basically so my mate was saying well who's offended? Are you arresting me or not?
Cut a long story short the copper was saying I'm not arresting you I'm just warning you if someone's offended by it you could get in trouble etc.
I never said that at all. I think you are misreading me somewhat. What I said was that the law hasn't changed and this was not a bar to future prosecutions. I never suggested there would be no warnings, simply that the framework for action was still firmly in place.Smoked Salmon suggest there might be a chance they could just be warning people so they can arrest them later indiscriminately (He did not endorse this idea just entertained it).
Pretty sure they were arrested in the Lane. The West Ham game I think.Really happy that these 3 haven't got any criminal convictions over this.
Does anyone happen to know where these 3 were arrested? Was it inside the ground or outside? From reading the CPS' statement, they placed great emphasis on the context of the alleged offence, and that it would be likely to result in an unsuccessful prosecution. I think if they were arrested inside the ground, that might be the context that swung their opinion. They might still be willing to pursue a case against Spurs supporters using it in public places away from the ground, e.g. at pubs, on the High St, on trains, etc. I think that might be the next test case.
They have no case, you must show hostility towards an ethnic group under the definition of 'racialized'. Section 5 on its own is not offensive because the y word is only offensive if it is used as an ethnic slur, so they need 'racialized' on the charge.
does this mean we have won?
There is no significance. They are simply dropped cases. The CPS drops tens of thousands of cases a year. This does not mean the law has changed, nor does it mean a precedent has been set. As I said above, in theory they police and CPS could try this all over again if they thought their evidence was good.
You'd need a political campaign to get a change in the law for there to be any lasting effect. I suspect with the current climate of religious and racial hatred legislation the chances of that are pretty small.
Same. I would have landed on his head and done a little poo.I wish I was a fly on the wall when Badele got the news