Comments on: Binge lawmaking http://heatherbrooke.org/2005/article-binge-lawmaking/ Heather Brooke is an award-winning writer, journalist and activist Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:29:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Flotsam http://heatherbrooke.org/2005/article-binge-lawmaking/comment-page-1/#comment-823 Flotsam Sat, 05 Nov 2005 14:12:15 +0000 http://www.yrtk.org/2005/article-binge-lawmaking/#comment-823 I wonder whether there are any numbers available on the ratio of new laws made compared to old laws repealed. Even if the figures aren't there I think I can have a good guess. Politicians love making laws. It combines all their pet obsessions such as being in the limelight, accruing power, inflating their sense of self-importance and all the other traits that should keep them out of professional politics for ever. Talking of accruing power, I notice of late that the government is getting very fond of asking the Police what extra powers they want. The government approach is rather like asking a child if they'd like any more sweets. What ever happened to asking the public what powers they think the Police should have? Lastly, you also mentioned that the CPS don't keep data about dropped cases. It's rather like the coalition in Iraq. They can offer no clue as to how many Iraqis they've killed but can give us exact data on the amount of deaths caused by the insurgents. Embarrassing data either never gets collected or is filed in the “keep this quiet” section of the archives. I wonder whether there are any numbers available on the ratio of new laws made compared to old laws repealed. Even if the figures aren’t there I think I can have a good guess. Politicians love making laws. It combines all their pet obsessions such as being in the limelight, accruing power, inflating their sense of self-importance and all the other traits that should keep them out of professional politics for ever.

Talking of accruing power, I notice of late that the government is getting very fond of asking the Police what extra powers they want. The government approach is rather like asking a child if they’d like any more sweets. What ever happened to asking the public what powers they think the Police should have?

Lastly, you also mentioned that the CPS don’t keep data about dropped cases. It’s rather like the coalition in Iraq. They can offer no clue as to how many Iraqis they’ve killed but can give us exact data on the amount of deaths caused by the insurgents. Embarrassing data either never gets collected or is filed in the “keep this quiet” section of the archives.

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