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Great Britain to legalize use of deadly force in self-defense

Mike

Site Co-Founder
Joined
May 13, 2006
Messages
8,706
Location
Fairfax County, Virginia, USA
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-st...clarify-existing-burglary-law-115875-23430544

SNIP


HOMEOWNERS who defend themselves and their property will get more protection under law, the Government recently pledged.

Under existing laws, homeowners are allowed to use only “reasonable” force to tackle a burglar.

Guidance issued by the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Crown Prosecution Service says: “The more extreme the circumstances and the fear felt, the more force you can lawfully use in self-defence. If the intruder dies, you will still have acted lawfully.”

. . .

PM David Cameron promised in June that the new Justice Bill would “put beyond doubt that homeowners and small shopkeepers who use reasonable force to defend themselves or their properties will not be prosecuted”.

Justice Secretary Ken Clarke said it will “clarify” the existing law.

He said: “We will make it clear you can hit a burglar with a poker. If an old lady finds she’s got an 18-year-old burgling her house and she picks up a kitchen knife and sticks it in him, she has not committed an offence, and we will make that clear.” . . .
 

oldbanger

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2010
Messages
475
Location
beckofbeyond - Idaho
Anthony Edward "Tony" Martin is a farmer from Norfolk, England, who in 1999 killed one burglar and wounded another who had both entered his home. He was convicted of murder, replaced with manslaughter on appeal...

English law permits one person to kill another in self defence only if the person defending him or herself uses no more than "reasonable force"...

The jury at the trial were told that they had the option of returning a verdict of manslaughter rather than murder, if they thought that Martin "did not intend to kill or cause serious bodily harm". However, the jurors found Martin guilty of murder by a 10 to 2 majority...

He was sentenced to life in prison, the mandatory sentence for murder under English law...:eek:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Martin_%28farmer%29
 
Last edited:

warywolfen

New member
Joined
May 20, 2012
Messages
6
Location
Socorro, NM
How things have changed in the UK

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-st...clarify-existing-burglary-law-115875-23430544

SNIP


HOMEOWNERS who defend themselves and their property will get more protection under law, the Government recently pledged.

Under existing laws, homeowners are allowed to use only “reasonable” force to tackle a burglar.

Guidance issued by the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Crown Prosecution Service says: “The more extreme the circumstances and the fear felt, the more force you can lawfully use in self-defence. If the intruder dies, you will still have acted lawfully.”

. . .

PM David Cameron promised in June that the new Justice Bill would “put beyond doubt that homeowners and small shopkeepers who use reasonable force to defend themselves or their properties will not be prosecuted”.

Justice Secretary Ken Clarke said it will “clarify” the existing law.

He said: “We will make it clear you can hit a burglar with a poker. If an old lady finds she’s got an 18-year-old burgling her house and she picks up a kitchen knife and sticks it in him, she has not committed an offence, and we will make that clear.” . . .

When I was 16 (1968), a friend of mine gave me a little paperback entitled "Gil Paust's Gun Book." It had been published, I think, in 1958. It was an introductory book on firearms, with chapters on topics like gun safety, action types, choosing cartridges for hunting, etc. There was a chapter on self-defense. In it, he described "set guns." And he wrote that although they were illegal in the U.S, they were permitted in ENGLAND! My, how things have changed!
 

user

Accomplished Advocate
Joined
Feb 12, 2009
Messages
2,516
Location
Northern Piedmont
How veddy odd!!!

What happened to "defense of habitation" defined in Semayne's Case, long about the mid-1700's? Virginia has preserved the English Common Law as it was in 1607, but I wonder whether the law of personal defense has been changed in England since that time by statute or royal edict?
 

Haz.

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2010
Messages
1,226
Location
I come from a land downunder.
"He said: “We will make it clear you can hit a burglar with a poker. If an old lady finds she’s got an 18-year-old burgling her house and she picks up a kitchen knife and sticks it in him, she has not committed an offence, and we will make that clear.” . . . "
.

Now all they need do is allow the general population to arm them selves with more than pokers and a kitchen knife.
 

Grapeshot

Legendary Warrior
Joined
May 21, 2006
Messages
35,317
Location
Valhalla
All well and good - it is about time - but what will they do about those that have been incarcerated under the existing draconian laws.
 
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