NationStates Jolt Archive


A Right To Self-Defence

Studium
31-01-2004, 10:38
I propose that all citizens should be allowed to defend themselves and those around them with reasonable force without fear of prosecution or legal action.

In 2000, three young men broke into Tony Martin’s home. The farmer feared for his life and that of his family, and fired a shot at the intruders – killing one of the three. The innocent farmer was arrested and sent to prison for a total of 3 years, 3 months and 9 days. One of the jailed intruders was released several days before Tony Martin, and then after his release, sued Mr Martin for damages. In 2000, Mr Martin had to choose between risking his life and that of him family or at least three years in prison and legal action for protecting himself and his family.

“A 70-year-old man has suffered 45 stab wounds in what police say was a "vicious and ferocious attack" by a burglar.”

“Mrs Bell was stabbed three times in the stomach when she disturbed him [an intruder] as she arrived at her Oakmoor Road home in Wythenshawe.”

“An 82-year-old Birmingham widow was killed by a woman who stabbed her through the heart as she searched her home for money to buy drugs”

“Ms Davies, who was just 4ft 11 ins tall, had been left for dead after being struck on the head in the attack at her home in Penylan, Cardiff, on 27 August, 2001…She died on 27 October from a chest infection which, the court heard, was linked to the attack.”

All of the above show what Tony Martin would have risked if he had not acted in self-defence. He acted instinctively to save himself and his family and was jailed and sued for doing so.

The British Crime Survey analysed over 10 million 1997 crimes and found that 223,000 of them (2.2%) resulted in a conviction and 34,000 (0.34%) resulted in a custodial sentence. On average, your chance of committing an offence and getting away with it is 98%, the chance of not being imprisoned for it is 99.66%.

Under my proposals victims such as Tony Martin will be protected by the law when trying to apprehend intruders. For too long have victims been prosecuted wrongly for self-defence. Today I ask you to give victims the rights they deserve and allow them to act in self-defence. I also ask you to take away the undeserved rights of those who terrorise and threaten innocent citizens and then sue for damages.

"Self defence is justly called the primary law of nature, so it is not, neither can it be in fact, taken away by the laws of society."
- Sir William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England, 1765
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"Must men alone be debarred the common privilege of opposing force with force, which nature allows so freely to all other creatures for their preservation from injury? I answer: self defence is a part of the law of nature, nor can it be denied the community, even against the king himself..."
- John Locke, Two Treatises of Government, 1689
"If any person attempts to break open a house in the night-time, and shall be killed in such attempt, the slayer shall be acquitted and discharged"
- Sir William Blackstone, 18th-century English jurist


UN Delegates, I urge you to approve this proposal now. Go to the UN proposals page and search for "self-defence". Please, give victims the rights they deserve.
Studium
31-01-2004, 10:47
UN Delegates, please go to the UN Proposals page today and approve my proposal. Just search for "self-defence.

In Hope,

The PM