A Stitch in Haste

Just a footnote to my two previous posts that England has had its first travesty cloaked as justice:

William Dunlop, 43, had been tried twice for the 1989 killing of 22-year-old Julie Hogg. Both times juries were unable to reach a verdict. He was formally cleared of the murder, but later a prison officer said that he had lied in court.

The centuries-old "double jeopardy" rule prevents suspects being tried twice for a crime, and is enshrined in the legal codes of many of Britain's former colonies, including the United States.

But under a bill introduced by Prime Minister Tony Blair's government and passed in 2003, a person acquitted of certain serious offenses could face a second trial if compelling new details, such as DNA evidence, become known.

For the record, Dunlop pleaded guilty this time around. Point conceded. But that does not mean that "justice was served."

Given the experience with the ever-expanding reach of the sex offender mania in the U.S., one cannot help but wonder how far and how fast the definition of a "serious" offense will be diluted, or how "compelling" the new details will have to be, for the "unjust" double jeopardy rule to be vitiated.

How would the British phrase it? "Justice is dead, long live justice!"