Tag Archives: A.P. Herbert
The Rule of Law, Remorse, Shamima Begum
Posted by on Mar 2, 2019
This week on Facebook: Last year I posted ‘A law to cure!‘. The question that we continually seem face and perhaps should address is the need for new laws and changes to old ones. The English resort to the magna-carta as a source of their rights in Common Law and in response I posted Magna Carta: No longer law.
The truth is rarely pure and never simple. Oscar Wilde
Yet more A. P. Herbert!
Posted by on Dec 15, 2018
This week on Facebook: I have loved reading A. P. Herbert’s parodies of the law in Misleading Cases. Having followed the legal escapades of Albert Haddock on television, although the series was not entirely true to the storyline. However, my favourite A. P. Herbert character from the books is Sir Ethelred Rutt, used last week as the model for the protagonist in my story ‘Men in Black’. Herbert didn’t always use the same characters in his stories and I’m sure that he would disparage the world in which we now live. In the last story, I’m sure that the abilities involved in the letters that Mr Sleep wrote are now superseded by in the inabilities of those writing ubiquitous emails. Read more of this post
Short Stories
Posted by on Dec 8, 2018
This week on Facebook: I have decided to have a lazy December, which turned out to be not as lazy as I had assumed. Nevertheless: December 2018 is going to feature reprises from Aasof’s Reflections beginning with some short stories that I have enjoyed writing. Clearly my first love is web research and I have enjoyed writing and researching material for all of my short stories. The following (in chronological order) are a selection of those that I enjoyed writing and researching the most.
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Aasof on Democracy!
Posted by on Jun 30, 2018
This week on Facebook: Following my reading of the articles in Bloomberg’s Weekend Edition (This Week was China Week), it’s apparent that we are committed to ideologies, politicians in particular — in my view — being particularly committed to the authoritarian ideology of China’s master plan, which I posted this month. However, in whatever form they may come in, the adherence to a particular ideology produces its own zealots. Comments on the social media confirm this view, but what about the many more who do not involve themselves in ideological discussions!
Vulpes alopex — Christmas 2017
Posted by on Dec 25, 2017
Some years ago Charles posted ‘The Boxing Day Hunt – Perfect Entertainment after Christmas Bingeing’ it looked to be an interesting post on a one time favourite rural pastime. I have no idea if fox hunting per se is still a rural pastime, but I do remember ‘the hunt’ and the following story makes a good Christmas Day homage to A. P. Herbert and Norman Thelwell. Read more of this post
Misleading Cases: Reprise
Posted by on Jan 20, 2017
This week on Facebook: It occurs to me in reading the misleading cases of A. P. Herbert that they are as relevant today as at the time they were written. Their context may be somewhat different and certainly society’s views on the freedom the individual are, but the law — far from being less oppressive — insidiously tightens its grip over individual freedoms. Read more of this post
Vulpes alopex
Posted by on Dec 26, 2016
Some four years ago Charles posted on the now defunct My Telegraph website ‘The Boxing Day Hunt – Perfect Entertainment after Christmas Bingeing’ it looked to be an interesting post on a one time favourite rural pastime. Charles wrote:
One of the tedious things about being poor is that one can’t indulge in pastimes like hunting. But one can turn up, as a supporter, and soak up the atmosphere (and maybe a bit of the Port). It really is enormous fun. If you haven’t done it, why not try it this year, on Boxing Day?
Justice Scalia meets A.P. Herbert
Posted by on Feb 27, 2016
This week on Facebook provides three commentaries on Justice Scalia and two reprises from my posts on A.P. Herbert’s Misleading Cases. I’m hardly qualified to comment on Justice Scalia’s contribution the the defence of the Constitution of the United States, but at least the United States has a codified constitution that it can defend. Justice Scalia always asserted that the American Constitution was not a ‘living document’, a view that resulted in much opposition to his judicial rulings during his tenure as a Supreme Court judge.
Justice Scalia was right to oppose any notion that minority interests could impose constitutional change not in accord with the will of the majority. The United States of America is foremost a republic with a written constitution that requires any changes to be made by due process. Unlike here in the UK where the supremacy of parliament allows for our uncodified constitution to be constantly amended, contrary to the will of the people it is intended to serve. A lack of due process that A.P. Herbert’s protagonist, a Mr Albert Haddock, constantly battled against.
“No man of what estate or condition that he be, shall be put out of land or tenement, nor taken, nor imprisoned, nor disinherited, nor put to death, without being brought in answer by due process of the law.” Edward III — Liberty of Subject (Magna Carta 1354)
Whom the Gods would destroy
Posted by on Oct 4, 2014
My posts on matter considered obscene, reminded me of the 1930 case when Sir Ethelred Rutt K.C., had the misfortune of appearing before a full Bench of magistrates on behalf of the headmaster (a clergyman) of Eton College. Certain publications had been found at Eton College by a Police Constable Boot in his zealous discharge of a special warrant, whereupon the headmaster was charged under Lord Campbell’s Act, England’s first obscenity statute. The headmaster admitted that the publications kept on the premises were to be ‘sold, distributed, lent, or otherwise published’ – within the meaning of the Act – to the students under his charge, who were from thirteen to nineteen years of age. Read more of this post
REX v THE HEAD MASTER OF ETON
Posted by on Sep 29, 2014
LORD CAMPBELL’S ACT
AT Windsor to-day, before a full Bench of magistrates, a serious charge was made against the Head Master of Eton, a clergyman, who appeared to feel his position acutely. Police-Constable Boot gave evidence in support of the charge, which was preferred under the – Obscene Publications Act, 1857, commonly known as Lord Campbell’s Act. Read more of this post
