What should go?

[Marmora Man]

Nick Clegg has asked the public to nominate laws that should be scrapped. Scrap Laws Report

So where do we start? I haven't really had time to think about it today but .........

24 hour drinking doesn't seem to have worked?

Fox hunting ban has been largely irrelevant

Compulsory Criminal Record Bureau checks on almost every one doesn't appear to have reduced threat to others by any significant amount.

[PeckhamRose]

Scrap the law that says schools must hold collective worship.

[Santerme]

I refer to the answers I gave 'in another place'.....

[Brendan]

I?ve not thought much about this either yet.

Surely 24hr drinking was brought about by scraping a law rather than putting a new one in place? I?m not sure if they?re asking if we want laws brought back.

Fox hunting I?m ambivalent. I?ve hunted myself a bit and don?t really enjoy killing things but if other people want to that?s up to them. Killing animals is after all an intrinsic part of being human. What type of hunting a society allows and what they deem as cruel or not is up to that society. So in my mind an issue like fox hunting should be decided upon by a consensus of the people.

The CRB check thing is nonsense and should be scrapped. I know a lot of people who work in healthcare and education and they have almost all been hampered in some way by the unnecessary bureaucracy. I think the government already has plans to scale it back though.

Sometime in the last 15 years the law that said that any car over 25 years old was tax exempt was change to only apply to cars built in 1973 or before. I wouldn?t mind seeing the back of that.

[DJKillaQueen]

The problem with fox hunting is that we have all sorts of laws that protect animals from cruelty, be it the dog in your home or the animal going to the abattoir. It's nonsense to say that fox hunting is somehow 'different' if those taking part agree so. After all, how many of those that fight dogs would ever say it's cruel and should be banned? It's right that a country takes a moral stance on such things. It's never been an intrinsic part of my human nature to cold bloodedly see an animal torn apart for fun. That I think you'll find is a calssic symptom of the psycopath.

The 24 hr drinking thing actually didn't change anything. Nighclubs and bars have always been able to apply for late liscensing and indeed local authorities still do decide if a 24 hour licence can be granted.

I'd like to see a few things changed...although not necessarily scrapped.

For example I'd like to see an end to the practise of charging double on a parking ticket if it's not paid quickly. I think that practise is prohibitive to motorists rights of appeal. I'd also like to see clamping and towing banned except where a vehicle causes an obstruction to the highway or right of way of another. In fact the whole process of fining motorists for parking infringements needs looking at.

Like others I agree the HRA needs looking at. It was never intended to protect the rights of those that disregard the human rights of others but yet that is what it has become, with criminals time and again hiding behind it.

I'd like to see the end of the kind of involvement from Brussels that tells our governemnt it has to continue paying benefits to foreign migrants and their families and indeed our own expats once they no longer reside in the UK.

And I'd like to see some of those laws scrapped that were intended to protect children from abuse but in reality have just made it impossible for the majority of adults to effectively discipline out of control children.

[SteveT]

I would not scrap laws but rewrite them in simple English.

I would scrap lawyers.

[SteveT]

The law which gives the spouse suing for divorce the lions share of the assets which she had never earned.

The law which gives the recently moved in girl-friend a call on your property within 6 months.

The law which allows children to have more say in the school classroom than the teacher.

The law which the Health and Safety crew thrive under.

The law which prevents one from sacking on the spot, an employee caught thieving.

The law which does not protect us from the behaviour of an owner of a dangerous animal.

The law which prevents one from speaking one's mind on any racial, or religious subjects.

The law which does not control the sinister fremasonry.

The law which does not protect you from shyster lawyers shafting the innocent citizenry.

The law which allows the cranks in power to administrate a charge to drive across the city we live in.

[matsuken]

Let's just obey the law to prevent the small issues to become a big issue,

[Keef]

Compulsory Criminal Record Bureau checks on almost every one doesn't appear to have reduced threat to others by any significant amount.

How do you know?

CRB checks are a pain, I'll be the first to admit that, but then again, they are no more a pain than filling in a passport application. As someone who works with vulnerable adults, and children, I'd say they are necessary.

Scale them back too much, and there will be some horrible story that will have huge tabloid headlines, then be brought up in parliment, then they'll reintroduce them. That's the problem, the tabloids are the biggest pressure group there is in making our laws.

[Loz]

I agree, Keef, that CRB checks are a necessary pain. But the ISA checks, with their Orwellian "rumours and gossip database" were a step too far.

Fix CRB so that the check is portable and you have a working, pragmatic system.

[Marmora Man]

Keef Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Compulsory Criminal Record Bureau checks on almost

> every one doesn't appear to have reduced threat to

> others by any significant amount.

>

> How do you know?

>

> CRB checks are a pain, I'll be the first to admit

> that, but then again, they are no more a pain than

> filling in a passport application. As someone who

> works with vulnerable adults, and children, I'd

> say they are necessary.

>

> Scale them back too much, and there will be some

> horrible story that will have huge tabloid

> headlines, then be brought up in parliment, then

> they'll reintroduce them. That's the problem, the

> tabloids are the biggest pressure group there is

> in making our laws.

Keef - I work in healthcare. The time taken to obtain CRB clearance really gets in the way of recruitment. Over the last 5 years neither I, nor my wife who works at St Thomas', have come across a single occasion where the CRB check has turned up something that affected the recruitment. Anecdotally (not always a good guide I agree) this seems to be the case across wide swathes of areas where vulnerable people are supposedly risk from those with ill intent whose criminal pasts will be revealed by the CRB check. Additionally, the fact that a CRB check for one employer is not portable to another - so one of my manager's operates across two sites - which are nominally separate legal entities but operated and managed as one unit. For every member of staff that works on both sites (as opposed to just the one - about 80% of staff) we require two separate CRB checks carried out simultaneously - ludicrous!

[Keef]

Not sure I can give an example of where it's effected recruitment, but I know of several where it has stopped people from fostering kids.

Still, do we get rif of all the red tape and make life easier just because it hasn't been an issue so far. Do you not think that people might not bother trying for a job, knowing that this would stop them from getting it?

If you're a danger to kids, but you know that noone is going to check your CRB, you might be more likely to apply for that post as a teaching assistant.

PS. My wife works at Thomas' too (nothing to do with this, just thought I'd say)

[steveo]

.

[ian164SE22]

Out of interest, Steve, was is sinister about Freemasonry? As far as I am aware there is no law in place to actively not control it. What would you wish to see controlled?

[HAL9000]

ian164SE22 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> [what] is sinister about Freemasonry?

In the UK, Regular Freemasonry (as represented by UGLE) is a deceptive, mind-control cult that dupes hapless recruits into serving its own interests. Its mafia-like activities are not conducive to an open and fair democratic society.

Lodges should be stripped of their charitable status and be required by law to publish regular up-to-date membership lists.

Members should be barred from public office, civil and military service, the professions, self-regulated associations and private sector positions that handle public funds or interests.

Just my opinion, of course.

[Brendan]

Couldn't agree more.

[????]

Have you two shaken hands on it?

[SteveT]

Yep! and rolled up my trouser leg too.

[Brendan]

So much so that I?ve just sorted it out for him to come in and fill that middle management position that?s going rather than promote the most suitable person.

[Loz]

HAL9000 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> ian164SE22 Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > is sinister about Freemasonry?

>

> In the UK, Regular Freemasonry (as represented by

> UGLE) is a deceptive, mind-control cult that dupes

> hapless recruits into serving its own interests.

> Its mafia-like activities are not conducive to an

> open and fair democratic society.

>

> Lodges should be stripped of their charitable

> status and be required by law to publish regular

> up-to-date membership lists.

>

> Members should be barred from public office, civil

> and military service, the professions,

> self-regulated associations and private sector

> positions that handle public funds or interests.

>

> Just my opinion, of course.

My father and my father-in-law are both Freemasons. I'm a little upset as they have both completely failed to rule the world via their bi-monthly meetings. Mind you, it must difficult being taken seriously about taking over the world when you are dressed in a pinny.

I blame the Illuminati, myself. Splitters.

[Magpie]

Freemasons - secret society intent on ruling the world, or just a bunch of middle aged men dressing up and getting drunk?

Not sure which is more likely . . . . . . .

[Brendan]

Rule the world? Perhaps not.

Nepotistic and manipulative? Very much so. Especially in they type of small towns I come from.

[expat]

upgrade of Trident....

[Jeremy]

The Trident replacement is the elephant in the room. The hugely expensive project, which the majority of the UK are not in favour of. The nuclear deterrent which we wouldn't need, if we weren't so intent on exerting our influence overseas.

[Brendan]

I don?t understand it, it?s not like these people come for some sort of background where bullying people with force is ingrained into their psyche.