Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Whole-life Sentences For Most Dangerous Criminals

Their ruling also means the UK government avoids another confrontation with Strasbourg, following disagreements over issues like prisoner voting. Scots law did not face the same challenge as its equivalent sentence an order of lifelong restriction has a minimum term after which the prisoner will be assessed. The panel of five judges at the Court of Appeal also increased the unduly lenient 40-year minimum being served by killer Ian McLoughlin, who murdered a man while on day release, to a whole-life term. And they dismissed a challenge by Lee Newell, who murdered a child killer while in prison, against an order imposed in his case that he can never be released. Giving the panels ruling, Lord Thomas said the court had held that the statutory scheme enacted by Parliament which enabled judges to pass whole-life orders was entirely compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. Judges should therefore continue as they have done to impose whole-life orders in those rare and exceptional cases which fall within the statutory scheme, he added. Under the statutory scheme as enacted by Parliament, the Secretary of State has power to release a prisoner on licence if he is satisfied that exceptional circumstances exist which justify the prisoners release on compassionate grounds. After the ruling, Attorney General Dominic Grieve, who referred the McLoughlin sentence to the court for review, said: I am pleased that the Court of Appeal has today confirmed that those who commit the most heinous crimes can be sent to prison for the rest of their lives. Justice Secretary Chris Grayling added: I think people in Britain will be glad that our courts have disagreed with the European Court of Human Rights, and upheld the law that the UK parliament has passed. Last July, the European Court of Human Rights held that there had been a violation of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights which relates to inhuman and degrading treatment on the basis that whole-life orders were not reducible. But the Court of Appeal disagreed by pointing to the possible exceptional release of whole-life prisoners clause. Triple killer McLoughlin, 55, was jailed for life at the Old Bailey last October for stabbing a man on his first day-release from prison after 21 years in custody. When sentencing McLoughlin, the trial judge imposed a 40-year tariff, saying he could not pass a whole-life term because of the European court ruling.
For the original version visit http://www.scotsman.com/news/uk/whole-life-sentences-for-most-dangerous-criminals-1-3311376

Monday, February 17, 2014

wedding Speech


In any wedding along with the exchange of vows, rings and the sway of the wedding couple to the music, another part which is always anticipated is the one with the wedding speeches. Speeches are generally given by people who are close to the new couple, such as the bride's father, the bridegroom, and the best man.

Anyone who wants to say something to the newly married couple is usually welcome to say a few words but there are some people who are expected to speak whether they know what to say or not.

So if you have been chosen to honor and celebrate with the happy couple by giving a speech, you have no need to panic, right. So, taking the time to carefully plan out a few key ideas to mention and then putting the effort ìnto practicing your speech beforehand wìll help to make your wedding speech something the couple wìll be grateful for long ìnto the future.

If you are a bit nervous about giving a wedding speech, funny wedding speeches can take the weight off of your shoulders. Good wedding speeches are often a good mix of funny and serious material with a good dollop of romance thrown in for good measure.

You can simply recall funny stories about how the bride or groom said they would never get married, perhaps you can tell the bride or groom that they must be a really patient person to put up with the other, and other light hearted jokes such as that. However, ìt should always be remembered that the purpose of wedding speeches and toasts ìs to honor and recognize the couple and should focus on them ìn an upbeat and respectful way.

Knowing the bride and groom and then putting their past or even present way of thinking in a funny light is fun and will sort of break the ice for the rest of the reception. Just make sure your jokes will be considered funny by the bride and groom. That's the thing, funny wedding toasts and speeches should not offend anyone, and if in doubt, leave the joke out of your speech.

This will get the attention of everyone, and then you can share something more meaningful or personal like an anecdote, story, some lines from a favorite poem, or anything special to you or the new couple.

Another funny way to do a wedding speech is to get a couple of the members of the wedding party together to read a funny poem that they have written about the couple, or to comically reenact a poignant moment between the newly wedded couple.

The Internet is a great resource for finding funny jokes on just about anything including weddings and there are plenty of them that are clean enough that they will get everyone laughing without offending anyone.

And then finally, end your speech with a warm, sincere congratulations and wishes for the couple's ongoing happiness. Thank the couple for making you part of their day. The heartfelt speeches given by the closest people of the wedding couple are always held in great regards.