Riot Sentences Defended by PM

David Cameron has been defending the courts who have been handing out tough sentances to those involved in the riots. 1200 people have been seen by the courts so far and some MP’s as well as campaigners have been complaining that the sentencing has been too tough. Recently two men were jailed for four years with intent to start riots (they were not successful). One of them is now going to appeal against his sentence.

Cameron has said that he feels it is good the the courts are sending a tough message out to everyone. He explained that it is teh decision of the courts as to what sentences they decide on but he felt that it is was good that they felt they were able to send out a tough message.

It is felt that over sentencing may result in many people appealing against their sentences. However, these may not be so widely publicised as the original sentencing, which sends out a string message to anyone who is tempted to get involved in rioting or theft.

There has been a suggestion by the BBC legal correspondent that the courts themselves have got involved in an act of collective hysteria by giving out tough sentences together in the same way that the rioters and looters did. The public mood is that they should be made an example of and with this pressure they may get carried away. However, because they have guidelines as to what the sentence should be, then they are just sticking to those and there is no reason why they should not be tough when this country needs to do everything that it can to prevent something like this happening again.

"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted."