Tuesday, 15 April 2014

Nigel Evans may well be Innocent; But he is guilty of hypocrisy.



There's a saying  in the USA 
"That a Conservative is a Liberal whose just got mugged".

"Whilst a Liberal is a Conservative whose been wrongly arrested".

Nigel Evans, who is £130,000 out of pocket after being cleared of sexual assault, has s said he  regrets his previous support for cutting legal aid. seemingly  fits in to the category.

Well only to the extent of his own self interest that is.

The Ribble Valley MP had previously condemned the rising cost of legal aid and admitted he would probably have voted for the last round of cuts in 2011 had he not been Deputy Speaker at the time.

He said he was stunned to learn he would have to pay his legal fees even if he was acquitted – plus value added tax. Mr Evans, whose life savings have been wiped out, has pledged to campaign on the issue after his return to the Commons.

His solicitor, Daniel Burke, said the CPS’s decision to instruct Senior Treasury Counsel, Mark Heywood QC, was above and beyond what would happen in normal cases where the defendant was not in the public eye.
He said had Mr Evans relied on legal aid to fund his defence case, he would not have had the sort of representation to challenge the prosecution team on an equal footing.
Mr Burke suggested the decision had been based on Mr Evans’s profile rather than the requirements of the case. 

It is however  believed that Mr Evans had the opportunity to receive legal aid where he would have to make a contribution too but which would probably have been returned to him in the wake of a not guilty.

The Nigel Evans decision to forgo a legal aid consul  which is common in such cases despite the defendants  resources it is argued because the  Crown Prosecution Service’s “disproportionate” decision to use a top barrister in the case against him.

From what I have read about the case it does look that  Mr Evans may have behaved like a complete prat in is relationship but it the evidence against him looked slim and not enough for a conviction.

But maybe Mr Evans  should reflect on the fact that he could afford a top class defence and if he he had relied on legal aid the outcome may (despite his innocence) My have not been favourable.

There some debate  about which Judge  said

"In England, justice is open to all - like the Ritz Hotel".

But maybe Nigel Evans and his friends should reflect on this.

 Just like the Plebgate affair  concerns an altercation between Conservative MP Andrew Mitchell, the Government Chief Whip at the time (who later resigned because of the incident), and the police, which took place on 19 September 2012. Which  gained notoriety initially for the conduct claimed of Mitchell  in that he was said to have called the Police Plebs  and again two months later when, subsequent to Mitchell's resignation, CCTV and other evidence was revealed which appeared to call into question some of the evidence against Mitchell. there  was strong  support  for Mitchell amongst Tories when one of their number may be the victim of
 false accusation by the police.

When the police lie about ordinary member of the public or someone is imprisoned because of trawling investigation or the many victims of injustice partly because they can't afford a proper defence they are ignored.

Indeed with the cuts to legal aid their plight will get worse .

Nigel Evan's eyes may be opened now because of his experience but maybe he should answer why it took this to see what his Con/Lidems have been doing to the cause of justice of the ordinary M.an and Women









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