RIP Sarah Everard, who went missing from Brixton in March 2021

[Gramsci]

Reclaim These Streets | Bindmans

Bindmans LLP act for a group of women from London who came together following suspected homicide of Sarah Everard, to plan a vigil on Clapham Common

www.bindmans.com

Here is Bindmans webpage- they worked for the Vigil organisers against the Met.

It contains pdf of the submssion to the Judge.

What is interesting is that initially - from emails that Bindmans have in the pdf - that local police were prepared to work with the organisers. Two of the organisers were local Cllrs. Lambeth Council ( Clapham Common is in Lambeth) supported idea of a vigil. Lambeth Council were prepared to help. So looks to me this could have been well organised one hour vigil with social distancing.

It was only later the Met said no.

On the blanket ban on Protest. In front of Judge the Met legal team said was not the case. Which tbf I find contradictory. As it is clear that is what they told organisers.

Bindman argue that the Human Rights Acts ( which protects freedom of expression and assembly) is primary legislation and that secondary legislation like the Covid legislation has to be compatible with it. HRA comes first.

So under the covid legislation of reasonable excuse the Met could have allowed a vigil. The HRA rights come first.

Its an important argument. Looking at the HRA excerpts in Bindmans pdf and the whole point of the HRA is to enshrine rights of individual against the state. The judgement call is to err in favour of peaceful protest. Its important part of democracy.

The pandemic is testing these important principles.

 

[Winot]

I think the problem here is that the bar was quite low for the police to meet. They just had to consider the balance between the HRA and the Covid laws when deciding whether or not to allow the vigil to go ahead.

It sounds like the police changed their tune (presumably on legal advice) as to whether or not it was a blanket ban.

It’s now clear that a blanket ban is against the HRA but as long as the police consider the HRA then they can go ahead and ban, which is where we are.

 

[Gramsci]

I think the problem here is that the bar was quite low for the police to meet. They just had to consider the balance between the HRA and the Covid laws when deciding whether or not to allow the vigil to go ahead.

It sounds like the police changed their tune (presumably on legal advice) as to whether or not it was a blanket ban.

It’s now clear that a blanket ban is against the HRA but as long as the police consider the HRA then they can go ahead and ban, which is where we are.

Its to late for this vigil.

My question is why police changed their tune.

It was Bindmans challenging them that made them change their tune. Police must have had legal advice before about blanket bans. Thing about the police is that they push the envelope in their favour as much as they can. Scaring people with fines works. Hoping no one takes costly legal action to question them.

Probably surprised the Cops that the organisers got overnight the funds to take them on so quickly.

Its a good reminder that however much local police are friendly the Met as an organisation is not the peoples friend.

 

[Gramsci]

Another thing. My experience of legal stuff is some of it depends on the Judge one gets on the day. Different Judges interpret the law in different way. This one did not want to "interfere" with the police.

And how the HRA vs Covid legislation is interpretated is what legal argument is for. Its a judgement call. Its also political. Another reminder is that the Police are a political organisation. They are not neutral.

 

[CH1]

He’s been charged with Sarah’s abduction and murder.

Sarah Everard: Met Police officer charged with murder Sarah Everard: Met Police officer charged with murder

How come he's now on his second trip to hospital?
He doesn't seem to have been very well supervised in custody.

 

[SheilaNaGig]

A second head injury now?

 

[SheilaNaGig]

The Express was reporting it 12 hours ago?

Sarah Everard: Suspect Wayne Couzens rushed to hospital again

THE man charged with the murder and kidnap of Sarah Everard was rushed to hospital with a head injury for the second time in three days today.

www.express.co.uk

 

[discokermit]

.

 

[sheothebudworths]

The Express was reporting it 12 hours ago?

Sarah Everard: Suspect Wayne Couzens rushed to hospital again

THE man charged with the murder and kidnap of Sarah Everard was rushed to hospital with a head injury for the second time in three days today.

www.express.co.uk

Original article updated at 22.08 today.

 

[Idris2002]

How come he's now on his second trip to hospital?
He doesn't seem to have been very well supervised in custody.

Second head injury? Sounds to me like they don't want the embarrassment of a trial.

 

[coldwaterswim]

I can’t stop thinking about this, that poor girl must have been terrified.
I’ve walked along that bit of the a205 so many times without a second thought.

 

[sheothebudworths]

This has quite a lot of detail, including the two reports of indecent exposure on Feb 28th.

Sarah Everard: Met police officer charged with kidnap and murder | UK news | The Guardian

 

[HarmonyFlow]

Second head injury? Sounds to me like they don't want the embarrassment of a trial.

Hmm....

It is very interesting that he has “suffered a second head injury”.

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

Is he sharing a cell with Jeffrey Epstein?

 

[existentialist]

Hmm....

It is very interesting that he has “suffered a second head injury”.

I expect he's whacking his head against a wall...perhaps the only power he has left.

 

[trashpony]

I expect he's whacking his head against a wall...perhaps the only power he has left.

maybe they should put him in a padded cell.

 

[Athos]

maybe they should put him in a padded cell.

I suspect that's his angle.

 

[existentialist]

maybe they should put him in a padded cell.

That thought did occur...but given how poor our healthcare system is at keeping genuinely unwell people safe, I am not optimistic that Mr Couzens will be prevented from doing himself harm.

 

[Athos]

He'll soon be remanded to custody. Probably need to be on a nonce wing to protect him from other prisoners, and 24 hour a day monitoring to prevent him harming himself. There'll be understandable outrage if he somehow avoids answering these charges in court.

 

[existentialist]

He'll soon be remanded to custody. Probably need to be on a nonce wing to protect him from other prisoners, and 24 hour a day monitoring to prevent him harming himself. There'll be understandable outrage if he somehow avoids answering these charges in court.

I hope they're going to take extra precautions, because it might be convenient for some that he doesn't have to face charges in court...perhaps not least the suspect himself.

In particular, because I suspect that the investigations could well highlight other offences.

 

[Athos]

I hope they're going to take extra precautions, because it might be convenient for some that he doesn't have to face charges in court...perhaps not least the suspect himself.

In particular, because I suspect that the investigations could well highlight other offences.

Honestly, I think the MPS would rather be seen bringing him to justice, now. Especially as any failings are very unlikely to affect anyone powerful enough to orchestrate any harm befalling him.

 

[existentialist]

Honestly, I think the MPS would rather be seen bringing him to justice, now. Especially as any failings are very unlikely to affect anyone powerful enough to orchestrate any harm befalling him.

Yep, I don't think it will be them. But prisons are full of people (and not just the inmates) who tend not to regard the niceties of trials as especially relevant.

And, of course, there is also the strong possibility that the suspect may have his own reasons for not wanting to see the process through...

 

[Guineveretoo]

The vigil on Clapham Common today has been cancelled.

 

[Athos]

Yep, I don't think it will be them. But prisons are full of people (and not just the inmates) who tend not to regard the niceties of trials as especially relevant.

Yeah. And that would be a further blow to her family. Fingers crossed he doesn't get an easy out (by his own hand or someone else's).

 

[existentialist]

The vigil on Clapham Common today has been cancelled.

I imagine that there's nothing to stop significant numbers of small, socially distanced groups of people going anyway?

I wonder what it must be like for policemen and women to find themselves having to suppress a vigil that, in all likelihood, many of them will support?

 

[bimble]

i'm really sorry to hear they have cancelled it. Feels like it would have been both important and comforting for a lot of people. I hope people do go anyway in some numbers, now that it's officially cancelled nobody can be fined for organising it?

 

[girasol]

It doesn't seem right that they cancelled it, but cancelled it is... They are raising money instead...

 

[Artaxerxes]

I imagine that there's nothing to stop significant numbers of small, socially distanced groups of people going anyway?

I wonder what it must be like for policemen and women to find themselves having to suppress a vigil that, in all likelihood, many of them will support?

It's never stopped them before, I assume it's part of the training.

 

[Pickman's model]

Is he sharing a cell with Jeffrey Epstein?

Sure he will be whenever he goes to the great prison in the sky

 

[Brainaddict]

Eek, you can tell these aren't experienced protest organisers. Sure, cancel it on paper to protect yourselves if you must, but no need to actively discourage people from going. Protests don't involve doing everything the police says.

One problem is most people don't know that a lot of protests that happen don't get police permission or are actively sabotaged by the police. The myth of freedom of assembly is still strong.