Payouts of Evil

The supreme court continues to demonstrate its lack of a fiscally viable moral compass with a ruling that prisoners are entitled to compensation if their parole board hearings are delayed. So far, there have been payouts to eighty-nine offenders, totalling slightly less than an average severance package for one of the banking sector's leading thieves and incompetents, mainly as a result of New Labour's introduction of indeterminate sentencing in 2005. Labour shunted the responsibility for determining release dates onto the parole board; but, the parole board being a mere public service rather than a funnel to guide taxpayers' money towards private corporations, no extra resources were made available to deal with the extra workload.

The supreme court's persistence in clinging to the outmoded idea that offenders have rights and ministers have responsibilities naturally brought forth squeals of indignation from Chris Graybeing's Ministry of Tough. An underbeing called Jeremy was duly extruded, proclaiming the virtues of tougher sentencing, more jail time, tough licensing conditions and the withdrawal of legal aid from anyone likely to need it.