Aug 192011
UK SECRETARY OF STATE FOR JUSTICE, KENNETH CLARKE, TO BE SUMMONED TO ROYAL COURTS The case for unlawful confinement of 85 year old war hero, Norman Scarth, was presented today, August 18th, 2011, by Chris Jarvis at the Royal Courts of Justice in London to Justice Wyn Williams. The presentation included a petition which had gathered some 930 names in just a few days, complete with angry comments by an outraged public. Norman Scarth attended by video link from Leeds, was in good mental health, as witnessed by all, and he also presented his case to the judge, in very respectful, knowledgeable, and intelligent terms. Leeds Prison Governor, Paul Baker, failed to respond to the summons or send a representative, as he is said to be on holiday. Justice Williams denied Mr. Scarth due process of law. He adjourned the case until next week, sending him back to the torture of prison, rather than releasing him on bail as is done for common criminals, and the looters and rioters in the streets of London. Mr. Scarth is a civil prisoner who has been denied due process, and is kept in torturous conditions in Leeds Prison, UK. On July 25, 2011, he attempted to record a court hearing in Bradford on his phone, because hearing loops had not been provided by the court, and he is hard of hearing. The proceedings had started, and he had not had chance to ask permission – permission granted to him in the past, he says, by Lord Woolf. An angry Judge Jonathan Rose of Bradford Crown Court, had him arrested immediately. He was brought back into the court room in handcuffs, sentenced the next day, and dispatched to Leeds Prison for serious offenders, which has the highest suicide rate in the UK. He has been kept in solitary confinement and denied his pain medications. He was being denied access to legal representation until today, when Justice Wyn Williams was forced to make an order that Mr. Scarth be allowed his rights to legal counsel. HM Prisons Inspector, Nick Hardwick, had written to supporters this week, saying that, as HM Inspector of Prisons, he did not have the power to intervene after he received complaints about Mr. Scarth’s torture and the fact that Mr. Scarth’s official complaints were being ignored by all, including the Prisons Ombudsman who are slow to react (and have not properly intervened) and the Prison Governor, Paul Baker. Similarly, the Parole and Probations Board’s Mr. Terry McCarthy advised, on behalf of the entire board, along with Dr. Peter Selby of the Independent Monitoring Board at the National level, said that they had no powers to intervene. All are fully aware of the unlawful torture that Mr. Scarth is enduring, and that these conditions violate both UN and EU human rights., such as the denial of pain medications for severe muscle cramping, which is torture, and there are other conditions which add to the case for wilful physical and mental torture. Mr. Scarth’s supporters are claiming wilful blindness by all concerned in the matter of Mr. Scarth’s confinement. Justice Williams ordered that Mr. Scarth be allowed to have contact with legal representation, which the prison has been denying him. However, he refused to order that Mr. Scarth be given his prescription medication, thereby forcing him to be kept in physical and mental torture for a further week at least. Justice Williams acknowledged that he had the power to release Mr. Scarth immediately on bail, as he has already served twenty-three days of a six month sentence, but he declined to do so. Chris Jarvis took issue with this, and suggested that six months in the life of a man who is almost 86 years old, is equivalent to that of fifteen to sixteen years for younger man. Justice Williams refused to release Mr. Scarth, and the public gallery, which was full, erupted in loud shouts and cries of “injustice!” and “corruption!” Justice Williams has summoned Kenneth Clarke, Secretary of State for Justice, to The Royal Courts of Justice next week, along with the Prison Governor, Paul Baker of Leeds Prison, who was supposed to have been present today, but was not. There was coverage by Russian TV, and members of the local press. The Russian news agency has taken up this matter after a press release went out from the Russian Embassy in London, in support of Mr. Scarth, WWII Arctic Convoy Veteran, because the Russians are so grateful to Arctic Convoy veterans for their efforts during World War II. This month, in Scotland and other places, these veterans are being honoured and are outraged that Norman Scarth is in prison, rather than being honoured along with them. Mr. Scarth’s supporters are calling for the public worldwide to sign the public petition to release Mr. Scarth, who is being denied his human rights and pain medications under UN and EU conventions, without any intervention from government, parliament, or any governmental body, all of which were put on notice and provided with full documentation, and all of which knowingly contravene UN and EU human rights. Mr. Scarth raised this matter himself in court. Mr. Scarth has directly petitioned Her Majesty, the Queen, for release and pardon, but there has been no word yet. Justice Williams, as agent for the Queen, was also served Mr. Scarth’s petition for a pardon during the hearing. The Governor General of Canada, had previously also sent Mr. Scarth’s petition for pardon directly to the Queen. The public is demanding a Public Inquiry into the matter. http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/free-wwii-veteran-norman-scarth-from-leeds-prison.html http://justicefornormanscarth.wordpress.com/ FOLLOW ON TWITTER @freenorman
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SCARTH v HM PRISON LEEDS & SECRETARY OF STATE FOR JUSTICE
Appeal hearing 10.30 a.m. September 9, 2011, Royal Courts of Justice, The Strand, London, Court Room 5.
In the ongoing case of British injustice, “Justice” Wyn Williams of the Royal Courts of Justice, London, UK, has twice denied 85 year old Norman Scarth his common law right to bail, and twice refused to order that he receive his prescription pain medications which are deliberately being denied him by all prison and health officials, and relevant regulatory authorities. Complicit are all officials, from the Health Officer of Leeds Prison, PALS NHS Leeds, Leeds Prison Governor, Paul Baker, HM Inspector of Prisons, Nick Hardwick, Dr. Peter Selby of the Independent Monitoring Board, Michael Spurr of N.O.M.S, and Crispin Blunt, Prisons Minister, and more. In addition, all members of the British parliament have been advised of this situation, including the Secretary of State for Justice and the Prime Minister – several times.
Despite his requests, frail Norman Scarth has also been denied access to a qualified physician since his incarceration on July 26, 2011.
The public is demanding a Public Inquiry, as it is felt that this is a conspiracy to torture an 85 year old man with intent to cause premature death, as Mr. Scarth has been outspoken about the judiciary and British legal system in the past. There would appear to be no freedom of speech in the United Kingdom, despite the government’s claims to the contrary. Supporters of Mr. Scarth have put all those in government on notice regarding corporate homicide and their personal roles in failure in duty of care and wilful blindness. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/aug/28/corporate-homicide-law-prison-police
Mr. Scarth was sentenced to six months in prison for attempting to turn on his phone to record a court hearing because he is partially deaf, and audio loops were not provided in the public gallery at Bradford Crown Court before proceedings started in a public hearing on July 25, 2011. According to an eye witness, Judge Jonathan Rose, a controversial figure connected with the Yorkshire Ripper Case, sentenced Norman Scarth to six months in prison, in anger. He is spending it IN SOLITARY CONFINEMENT in Leeds Prison – a prison for serious offenders. He is a CIVIL prisoner, and is being denied certain of his rights, including his prescription medication. Since his incarceration, Mr. Scarth is still being denied his right to see a Legal Officer in the prison in order to obtain blank legal documents and forms for his appeal. Friends have mailed documents into him, but prison officers had been stealing his postage stamps and documents. Justice Wyn Williams had to issue a court order to the prison, commanding them to give him access to his personal legal counsel, as the avenues of communication were being blocked to him by the prison. This is against his legal rights, and a court order should never have been necessary.
The public is wondering who is pulling the prison’s strings.
However, the appeal is going ahead this Friday, with the obstacle having been overcome by Mr. Scarth’s ardent supporters.
Nick Hardwick, HM Inspector of Prisons and Dr. Peter Selby, Chairman of the Independent Monitoring Board insist that they do not have the authority to intervene in the matter of prison abuses, despite their positions, and the public is questioning their existence, as it would appear that not one person in public office in the UK feels they have any accountability to the public or any higher authority, and that nor they do not feel the need for transparency or duty of care.
Watch video: RUSSIA TODAY
http://rt.com/news/british-recording-court-veteran-645/ VIDEO RUSSIA TODAY.
published in THE VOICE OF RUSSIA:
British Themis against WWII veteran
Tags: Commentary, World, Society, Norman Scarth
Sergei Sayenko
Aug 19, 2011 17:43 Moscow Time
Court. Photo: EPA
The London High Court ruled on Thursday that British WWII veteran Norman Scarth, sentenced to six months in prison for audio recording in court, will remain in custody.
The 86-year-old was put behind bars in the city of Leeds after he used a sound recording device during a court hearing, which is against the law in Britain. While admitting the breach of law, Scarth and his supporters also pointed to a disproportionately harsh verdict against the British veteran, who has already sent a plea for mercy to Queen Elizabeth.
A prominent human rights activist, Scarth was imprisoned on July 25, 2011 for making a recording of a Royal Court hearing in Bradford. Scarth, who has hearing problems, explained that he decided to use his dictation device after he discovered the absence of head-phones in the court. He was quickly sentenced to six months in a prison for serious offenders later that day. Since then, he has been denied all visitors and medical aid – something that infuriated his supporters who continue to demand his immediate release. More than 900 people have already signed a petition to this effect, which was posted on the Internet earlier this week.
The Scarth case and the petition were then submitted to an appeals court, which said its “No” to the veteran’s release on Thursday. Right now, Scarth’s supporters are calling for a public probe into the matter.
During the Second World War, Scarth was a crewmember of the Matchless destroyer, which took part in the so-called northern convoys, tasked with delivering military hardware and food to the Soviet ports of Arkhangelsk and Murmansk. In this regard, Scarth certainly deserves to be pardoned, but meddling in Britain’s domestic affairs is not up our alley, of course, our political commentator says.
That the London court refused to release Scarth on bail really raises eyebrows, our commentator adds, pointing to the court’s soft sentences in relation to those taking part in recent riots in London and other British cities. Those public enemies were freed on bail in a move that our commentator says indicates Britain’s backsliding on democracy.
The past seven months have seen a whole array of human rights abuses in Britain, which notably still remains in the grip of the phone-hacking scandal related to the News of the World tabloid. Adding fuel to the public fire was the recently declassified information about tortures used by British special services against suspected terrorists. As for the Scarth case, it once again confirms the fact that something is wrong with British society, which Prime Minister David Cameron said should be “repaired” as soon as possible
For further information, videos and details regarding the case here: http://justicefornormanscarth.wordpress.com/
At least one Baron, Viscount Exmouth, has signed the Public’s petition to Free Norman Scarth. http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/free-wwii-veteran-norman-scarth-from-leeds-prison.html Supporters of Mr. Scarth applauds his sense of morality, justice, and COMMON SENSE, and waits for others to sign. The UK judiciary is under extreme criticism, as comments from around the world (as noted on the petition) would indicate this to be a ridiculous ONGOING court case, which is wasting public funds and resources, and which is being viewed by supporters as a vindictive attempt by the judiciary and the British government to coax his premature death by heart attack or stroke, due to the torture and poor conditions of confinement for an 85 year old man. In just a few weeks, the petition to free Norman Scarth has gathered thousands of names and much criticism of the government and judiciary.
Norman Scarth alleges that he has been victimised ever since he won a case against the British government in the European Court of Human Rights concerning secrecy in the British courts. This excessive, and apparently vindictive, sentence by Judge Rose, upheld by Justice Williams, would appear to support his claims and remove any doubts in the matter.
The British government remains silent, and eyebrows are being raised around the world – particularly by the Russians. This is a high profile public interest case, which is only being truthfully covered by foreign media and the ever-growing social media.The public wants to know why, and is talking about more government collusion with the media, as in the News of the World scandal.
Biased reporting on the case was sent to the media from the court reporter at the royal Courts of Justice. It was picked up by the Government’s BBC,
and British Forces Network, and appears to be a blatant attempt to discredit the old age pensioner, rather than reporting full details of the case.
There is no mention by the BBC or the British Forces Network of Justice Williams’ abject refusal to order that Mr. Scarth’s medication be provided, thereby ending his physical and mental torture and the unlawful conditions of his imprisonment.
Congratulations to The Rt. Hon. David Cameron, Prime Minister for the UK, for allowing televised court hearings.
http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16063339
NOW HE MUST ALLOW AUDIO RECORDINGS IN ALL PUBLIC HEARINGS,
as in other European countries, and intervene in this appalling injustice against 85 year old Norman Scarth by the prison authorities and judiciary.
This is the ONLY WAY TO OPENNESS AND TRANSPARENCY IN THE COURTS,
and to stop any potential corruption and vindictiveness by the courts, and the tampering with transcripts by the judiciary.
What do the British judiciary and government have to hide?
The government is recording the public’s every move; should it not work both ways?
This is not democracy and it is not serving the public interest.
Norman Scarth and allied forces fought and died to keep Britain free of fascism. What happened?
Should the British government be preaching justice, democracy, and freedom of speech in the Middle East,
and sending out young men as cannon fodder, yet again, when these ideals are not even upheld in the UK?
Shouldn’t Britain be meeting its obligations as a UN member before invading other countries in the name of Human Rights?
Charity begins at home, Mr. Cameron. Would you please make your position known in this matter?