Was Lord Denning right?

[grahameb]

Former Lord Chief Justice Denning said:
"It is better an innocent man  serves a life  sentence than the law is seen to be making grave errors."
Was he right?

[Roch]

Former Lord Chief Justice Denning said:
"It is better an innocent man  serves a life  sentence than the law is seen to be making grave errors."
Was he right?

In my world, the complete opposite is true,  If the law is seen to be making grave errors, then somebody can step in and adress what is causing the errors.  It's just a form of holding a mirror up to British society.  Denning's comments belong to the 1780's not the 1980's.  In fact, even in the 1780's there would have been 'free thinkers' capable of shooting holes Denning's views.  I find his views ghastly and backward.

[HMEssex]

Former Lord Chief Justice Denning said:
"It is better an innocent man  serves a life  sentence than the law is seen to be making grave errors."
Was he right?

It makes my blood boil everytime I read this 'quotation'   

Would he liked to have been banged up for something he didn't do?  No doubt he thought he was above the law.  Horrible man.

On a facetious note, perhaps it should be nailed up outside every courthouse just as a warning to those who believe they will get a fair trial.

[Roch]

Would he liked to have been banged up for something he didn't do?

"Don't drop the soap Denning"

[jon]

Better That Ten Guilty Men…
Alexander Volokh
in BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT (Larry King ed., 2006)
“Better that ten guilty persons escape, than that one innocent suffer,” said
English jurist William Blackstone.  The ratio 10:1, now known as the “Blackstone
ratio,” expresses the classic Anglo-American ideas of the presumption of
innocence and (insofar as the statement speaks of “guilt,” “conviction,”
“imprisonment,” and the like) the burden of proof “beyond a reasonable doubt”
that prevails in criminal law.    This should be the approach of every civilized country !!

[HMEssex]

Just a very tenous link here, but on reading about Lord Denning on Wikipedia it says his wedding was officiated by Cecil Henry BOUTFLOWER!

[mertol22]

No i do not think he was right at  all, ive always believed  the truth is your sword  by your side in battle

[grahameb]

Unfortunately Lord Denning put the Law before Justice. The court where he sat for some years of his life has the statue representing justice above its dome. The statue stands holding a sword in one hand and scales in the other The sword represents judgment. The scales represent equity withing that judgment. But the most interesting symbol of this statue is the blindfold. Wikipedia says, "The blindfold represents objectivity, in that justice is or should be meted out objectively, without fear or favor, regardless of identity, money, power, or weakness; blind justice and impartiality."
It appears that Lord Denning was not fit to represent the laws of England. For with sentiments like his how can he ever make a just judgment?

[OnceSaid]

Former Lord Chief Justice Denning said:
"It is better an innocent man  serves a life  sentence than the law is seen to be making grave errors."
Was he right?

NO, he was very wrong to have made a comment like this.  He speaks of one man but there are many innocent men and women serving life sentences but yet the law continues to make grave errors.  These errors send innocent people to prison and allow the real killers to remain at liberty, free to kill again, where is the justice in that?

[Steve]

Grahame, have you ever heard of Blackstones Formulation?

[grahameb]

Grahame, have you ever heard of Blackstones Formulation?

Yes it's the precise opposite of Lord Dennings view.

[Reader]

How do we know Lord Denning really said this? Was he quoted in a book, a television programme, or what?

[grahameb]

How do we know Lord Denning really said this? Was he quoted in a book, a television programme, or what?

You are right. What he actually said was

It is better that some innocent men remain in jail than that the integrity of the English judicial system be impugned

He said this when the appeals of the Birmingham six were being discussed. He also said that if they had been hanged then people would have forgotten them and society would have been satisfied.

[HMEssex]

How do we know Lord Denning really said this? Was he quoted in a book, a television programme, or what?

What he actually said was this:

"It is better that some innocent men remain in jail than that the integrity of the English judicial system be impugned."

He said this in 1988 in regard to the Birmingham Six.

The full quote is this:

"Hanging ought to be retained for murder most foul. We shouldn't have all these campaigns to get the Birmingham Six released if they'd been hanged. They'd have been forgotten, and the whole community would be satisfied... It is better that some innocent men remain in jail than that the integrity of the English judicial system be impugned.

Source Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Denning,_Baron_Denning

[bigpod]

Unfortunately Lord Denning put the Law before Justice. The court where he sat for some years of his life has the statue representing justice above its dome. The statue stands holding a sword in one hand and scales in the other The sword represents judgment. The scales represent equity withing that judgment. But the most interesting symbol of this statue is the blindfold. Wikipedia says, "The blindfold represents objectivity, in that justice is or should be meted out objectively, without fear or favor, regardless of identity, money, power, or weakness; blind justice and impartiality."It appears that Lord Denning was not fit to represent the laws of England. For with sentiments like his how can he ever make a just judgment?

Perhaps that is the reason that the statue was made without a blindfold. Most people think it has one, but feel free to look at any photo of the statue above the Central Criminal Courts (Old Bailey). No blindfold. Maybe we should not expect Objectivity or Impartiality.