Watch what you say

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Various friends have brought my attention to this rather disturbing article on the BBC:

Five men have been cleared of raping a woman after it emerged she had spoken online about group sex fantasies.

There is so much wrong with this story I’m not quite sure where to begin, for a change I don’t find myself disagreeing with Penny Reds take on the matter. So I shall leave much of that side of things alone.

Instead a few other things that struck me, though obviously there’s not that much detail to be sure but I do have to wonder why the MSN logs were given such credibility, where they forensically retrieved from the MSN servers? Because the logs on the local computer are just plain text files and remarkably easy to edit. My suspicion would be that these logs haven’t been handled forensically and verified, and that the prosecution should have had them chucked out on that grounds alone rather than using them as an excuse to throw the case. The judge should also have known better, and a decent prosecution surely should have alerted the jury to the possibility of a perverse verdict, if they couldn’t get the logs thrown out (or even just argued that they didn’t change a thing).

I’m deliberately ignoring the whole issue of discussing any sort of fantasy with someone does not count as consent (as that should I hope be self evident) – though I do wonder how much of a precedent this could set for wearing various items of currently fashionable clothing with various indiscreet words written on them. Are “kiss me” hats now a legal invitation?

The thing I’m really wondering though is just how far this could be extended, especially once the powers that be are monitoring everything. Would saying you’ve “had enough” be grounds for euthanasia, could you be press ganged for saying you wanted to “give <random approved state enemy> what for”. Just how much consent does discussing something hypothetical terms now provide? And I also can’t help but think that this is somewhat at odds with events in the Girls scream aloud case. Admittedly one case doesn’t make a strong precedent, but this really does seem to me to be quite a worrying development, especially if the powers that be do ever get their panopticon of internet monitoring.

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MPs expenses 4 weeks to go

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Just to remind people the consultation on MP’s expenses end on the 11th of February.

you can take part on line here:
http://mpexpensesconsultation.org.uk/

The Tax Payers Alliance have a fairly good run down of the questions on their Website (hat tip to Iain Dale again).

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Quick post whilst I defrost

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Sadly problems with trains have stopped me getting to work today, and with my laptop in the office I have unexpected time on my hands so I may be updating a bit today. So whilst I defrost it seems that we may in fact be in for some global cooling and recent warming may not be man made after all, but it’s just temporary warming will resume before too long honest (hat tip Old Holborn).

Update
Harry’s place has a different view on the banning of Islam4UK.

Also after the monumentally bad move by our home secretary to ban Islan4UK, for saying nasty things that people didn’t like (they’ll no doubt form up under a new name within the week I suggest the “peoples front for Islam in the UK” not to be confused with the “Islam for UK people front”). Anyway meantime Anjem Choudary get’s to be all put upon and persecuted, taking a leaf from the BNP’s book. So as incredibly well summarised buy The nameless libertarian – the government has yet again takes the worst possible option putting the boot into free speech and giving Islam4UK more publicity than any march could hope to achieve. Joy.

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