No!....It baffles me how some get a slap on the hand for offending whilst for example a 27 yr old mum was jailed for 3 months for stealing a pair of jeans worth £10,her first offence btw.

I carried a knife once (many years ago) after I had had a very bad fright, but I relaxed after a couple of weeks and put it back in the kitchen drawer.
No, I don't think justice is served. When we have judges being angry and frustrated that they can't dole out proper justice, something is wrong in the state.

I really think it's within the judges' remit to be harsher on the thugs col.

Some real twats in wigs.

   

Is it not the laws that need updating though Donkey, are their hands tied?

Judges are jokes.  Most of them couldn't even tell you how much a pint of milk costs.

Who knows sprout?

But what's the point in a scale of offence when the top sentences are rarely dished out?

Also a serious random duffing up in the street can scar you for life - first time offender wouldn't see jail.

Although I am a fully paid up, bleeding heart liberal, loony lefty, yoghurt weaving hippy...I do think we should have tougher sentences for certain crimes. Esp. Sexual abuse of young children and rape (of anyone)

I'm not and never will be a hang 'em flog 'em pitchforker for stuff like theft.  But some crimes, yeah loopholes need tightening and stuff.  Judges can only work within the rules...but some are ARSES. Recently deceased Pickles fella, case in point.

I really think there is something really wrong with the judiciary in this country   they are so detached from the real world.  They have all the tools they need to make the sentence fit the crime yet time and time again they insist their hands are tied. 

One of the biggest problems for instance is their interpretation of the EU Human Rights Act.  Each EU country interprets it differently  yet imo the UK is unique in interpreting it in favour of criminals 

I am also suspicious that a number of paedophiles are given incredibly light sentences or no sentence at all for such a heinous crime.

I don't know what the answer is   I wonder if we should have judges that are elected like they are in the US?

Hear ya's.

I see where you're coming from Donkey and Leccy

Oops!            I edited

That could be an idea Pengy

 It's all heading towards electronic tagging and Community Service pish.
In my world.I'd build loads of new prisons and treat them as SCUM.

Goury  one of your seldom shows.

 Hiya Cologne.Hope you're keeping ok?.
Yeah.Haven't been around as much as i'd like.Wish i could restart the old C4 BB Forum again.Those were the days eh?.

I used to carry an knife all the time, but only because I used to work in a warehouse and forgot I still had my Stanley knife on me when I was off site or went home in overalls.  Luckily, I was never stopped.

 I always leave my Stanley at work.I keep the blade blunt though.Manys the time i could've given myself a sore one if it'd been a fresh blade.