Hillsborough Independent Panel findings and release of documents.

[Azrael]

Couldn't agree more with William's link. Some possibilities for reform:-

However the prosecution was actually conducted, the appearance of a conflict of interest when the state prosecutes its own agents is too great: I see no reason that the families shouldn't have been allowed to direct their own private prosecution, with public funds if needs be.

It also reaffirms my belief that judges should be stopped from summing up the facts, as they are in other jurisdictions, including many states of the union: with the best will in the world, it's extremely hard to do impartially, is responsible for a ton of appeals, and I doubt that any aid it gives to the jury's understanding is sufficient to justify these pitfalls.

 

[teqniq]

It was likely a bit problematic going after Duckenfield with a manslaughter charge tbh especially when it was really the whole sytem that was at fault.

 

[Azrael]

Whatever the systemic failings, there were specific accusations against the ex-super's decisions, accusations more than sufficient to justify a trial.

Having made the decision to try him, it was the worst of all worlds to give special treatment like allowing him to sit on the defence benches instead of in the prisoner's dock, or to gloss over the inquest evidence. Better to have dropped the case then run it like that.

 

[krtek a houby]

Disgusting. 30 years of pain and no justice.

 

[Rosemary Jest]

Scumbag judge is all I can say.

 

[Streathamite]

Scumbag judge is all I can say.

tbf, it was a Jury trial, although there were serious questions concerning the judges too-favourable handling of dukenfield

 

[friedaweed]

You have to wait for him to die even if he does go to prison, for true justice to occur. Keeping this sort of cunt in jail is just prolonging the inevitable release. Maybe like old people in care his goal should be paid for from his payout pot but lets face it even in his caravan in Whitby his retirement is bloodied with guilt.

Let's just dance on his grave like we did with the witch

ETA how I really felt yesterday.

Fuck him. Does he look happy these days?

 

[Azrael]

tbf, it was a Jury trial, although there were serious questions concerning the judges too-favourable handling of dukenfield

Yes, it was a jury trial, but since judges have vast powers of influence over juries, the concerns you note can easily swing the verdict. Judges decide which evidence is heard, frame that allowed in, can shut down cross-examination or even question witnesses themselves, can make it plain to the jury through their expressions what they think of witnesses, and perhaps most crucially of all, get to sum up the facts after prosecution and defence have delivered their closing speeches.

A judge's handling of the case is made all the more crucial by the weakened state of English juries after decades of ill-considered reforms (teenage jurors, random selection off the electoral register, juries allowed to fall below twelve and the possibility of decision by a supermajority). I don't want to focus on one judge without knowing the full details, but it does illustrate the urgency of reforms. No families should be left feeling as these have.

 

[SpookyFrank]

It was likely a bit problematic going after Duckenfield with a manslaughter charge tbh especially when it was really the whole sytem that was at fault.

I would have liked to see charges for destroying evidence, perverting the course of justice etc. Realistically though such charges wouldn't stand a much better chance of success.

 

[DaveCinzano]

I would have liked to see charges for destroying evidence, perverting the course of justice etc. Realistically though such charges wouldn't stand a much better chance of success.

Ask and ye shall receive.

Two former South Yorkshire police officers and the force’s lawyer at the time of the Hillsborough stadium disaster in 1989 face trial on Monday charged with perverting the course of justice over the amendment of police statements about the tragedy.

Peter Metcalf, who was a partner at the firm of solicitors that acted for the force, Hammond Suddards; Donald Denton, a South Yorkshire police chief superintendent at the time; and Alan Foster, a detective chief inspector, were charged with the offences in 2017, after the conclusion of the new inquests into how 96 people died at the football ground.

Hillsborough police face trial accused of perverting course of justice

Two former South Yorkshire officers and force’s lawyer accused of amending statements

www.theguardian.com

 

[TopCat]

They will get hammered for this.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Amending the statements. Why not altering? Or changing? Or fabricating?

 

[brogdale]

Amending the statements. Why not altering? Or changing? Or fabricating?

As in lying cunts caught lying red-handed; the cunts.

That would have been a better headline

 

[belboid]

They will get hammered for this.

if fucking only.

Of course there is nothing illegal in changing statements. It wasn’t a real trial they lied to, so fuck it.

Years, 32. Dead, 96. Justice? 0

Hillsborough trial: Men acquitted as judge rules no case to answer

Two ex-police officers and a force solicitor are acquitted of perverting the course of justice.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[DaveCinzano]

 

[TopCat]

Cunts

 

[sleaterkinney]

They will get hammered for this.

It's so fucking brazen, isn't it. The law isn't for them.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Just... no words. Only anger.

 

[sleaterkinney]

Did the CPS throw this one on purpose?

 

[steveo87]

Just... no words. Only anger.

This.

 

[Raheem]

Did the CPS throw this one on purpose?

I don't claim to know, but it looks a bit like it might be a case of accidentally picking the wrong offence.

 

[TopCat]

The smarmy solicitor outside the enquiry made me shout at the tv.

 

[Athos]

I don't claim to know, but it looks a bit like it might be a case of accidentally picking the wrong offence.

That was my immediate thought. Maybe they should have gone for the offence of misconduct in a public office.

 

[Athos]

The smarmy solicitor outside the enquiry made me shout at the tv.

When he made the quip about the money being spent on hospitals for Liverpool, he came across as a particularly smug cunt.

 

[Athos]

Did the CPS throw this one on purpose?

I doubt it. Would've been much easier to throw it earlier on. I think this was more likely a cockup than a conspiracy.

 

[hitmouse]

Thinking about how there's this, and the Daniel Morgan thing, and the Ballymurphy thing, and the spycops inquiry, all with big developments at more or less the same time... I don't really have a neat conclusion to go there, beyond like "fucking hell there's a lot of murky shit out there".

 

[Artaxerxes]

Andy Burnham calmly kicking the shit out of the secret barrister on twatter and levelled a lot of criticism at the legal profession.

 

[likesfish]

Their was the initial fuck up people died.
Shit was piled on the dead that people belived because football fans had a terrible reputation.
So the cover up got worse and worse to justify the initial fuck up.
The court cases were too late and pretty ropey

 

[hitmouse]

South Yorkshire and West Midlands police agree payouts for Hillsborough ‘cover-up’

More than 600 people are to be compensated for false campaign that tried to blame victims for disaster

www.theguardian.com

 

[chandlerp]

Andy Burnham is calling into question the collapse of the trials after a witness has produced a copy of her original statements indicating that she was providing a statement for a JUDICIAL inquiry after all.

‘Judicial’ Hillsborough inquiry questionnaires cast doubt on trial ruling | Hillsborough disaster | The Guardian