Bernie Ecclestone could pay off court to end bribery trial

[L00b]

That really is my point, ie that they are not comparable. This has been my point all along.

So what are you continually trying to draw that comparison?

BE has done nothing wrong in the eyes of the law, yet he has paid out a large sum of money.

His choice to settle and pay. What's it to you?

Should it apply in the UK?

Now that is a good question.

 

And I'm thinking that, if it doesn't already (I don't specialise in criminal law), then yes, the UK could do worse than emulate it. Even if only to try and mitigate the UK's criminal Courts' workload and "high-flying-litigation" legal aid issues. But perhaps with more checks and balances.

 

The bulk of German precedents would have to be pored over, to try and see whether the measure has, historically, been abused by the judiciary (settling cases hand-over-fist for the sake of clearing dockets) or applied justly (minor cases with wonky prosecution, settlements terms and amounts commensurate with facts/parties involved, infrequent use of this option).

 

I mean, the idea would be to get better settlements from e.g. tax evaders à la Vodafone overseen by the judiciary, in a proper judicial context and procedure, than those hush-hush getting-away-with-murder bargain-bottom settlements reached over expensed dinners with HMRC mandarins that we have all heard about.

[Eater Sundae]

So what are you continually trying to draw that comparison?

His choice to settle and pay. What's it to you?

Now that is a good question.

 

And I'm thinking that, if it doesn't already (I don't specialise in criminal law), then yes, the UK could do worse than emulate it. Even if only to try and mitigate the UK's criminal Courts' workload and "high-flying-litigation" legal aid issues. But perhaps with more checks and balances.

 

The bulk of German precedents would have to be pored over, to try and see whether the measure has, historically, been abused by the judiciary (settling cases hand-over-fist for the sake of clearing dockets) or applied justly (minor cases with wonky prosecution, settlements terms and amounts commensurate with facts/parties involved, infrequent use of this option).

 

I mean, the idea would be to get better settlements from e.g. tax evaders à la Vodafone overseen by the judiciary, in a proper judicial context and procedure, than those hush-hush getting-away-with-murder bargain-bottom settlements reached over expensed dinners with HMRC mandarins that we have all heard about.

 

Others have raised the comparison with plea bargaining types of deals. I was trying to highlight the key difference. As did you.

 

Of course it's of no concern to me what BE and the German courts agree between themselves. I am discussing it because I think that it could send out particular messages which I think are not in the interest of justice. You have also covered some additional potential pitfalls in your post, when considering whether it could be used here.

 

It just strikes me as being a bit too expedient and ignores the aim to get an answer. I understand that you cannot always reach a definitive answer, but the German way seems to be a bit too quick to give up, possibly driven by money. Money/cost is important, but so is trying to let the justice take its course.

[erebus]

Money buys the law, which no-one seems to realise, just prattle on about points fed by the tabloid and media. Money buys the clever lawyers who can interpret anything anyway at any times for a price, thus questioning the basis of any law.

 

But Bernie is one of many as the Banks recently make his contribution peanuts when compared to the deal of a $13 billion settlement with JPMorgan Chase last November.

Recently the Bank of America has offered to pay nearly $17 billion to settle investigations into its sale of toxic mortgage securities, which is if agreed, the biggest in US history.

 

So prattle on about Bernie, scoring points here and there, and forget the bigger picture, as in this BIGGER picture, YOU are the suckers, you are the JOKE, and you are the victims, as the banks, all banks are parasites, that feed of us all, and actually produce nothing that helps the advancement of humanity at all, they aare the swindlers of governments, they demand cuts in social services, they pull the strings that governments and eventually YOU are forced to dance to.

 

 

MONEY BUYS THE LAWS. MONEY MAKES THE LAWS. IF YOU HAVE MONEY YOU ARE INVULNERABLE, the law being like cobwebs to be brushed aside if you have got enough that is.