Anzi, ara, ma qaltli xejn ghax flok ‘for’ ktibt ‘with’. Imma dik bhalissa regghet mohha fil-konsenjamenti.

Now I see my error, La Redoute. The person I had mistaken you with is much sharper. Once a comic reader, always a comic.

I tend to agree with Daphne on the imprisonment issue, but having a driving licence suspended for just year ! Thats simply not on.

The guy will be allowed to drive, before his (supposed) prison term expires.

Insurance companies are guilty too. People like him should pay car insurance through their noses after such an incident, enough to put them off driving altogether. But they can’t do without that precious premium.

Bore on, Mr Sharon Ellul Bonici.

It’s time to stop being lenient on this chaotic driving. Too many people have died, or been injured, to emphatise any more. Only drastically increased fines and sentences, and enforcement of the law can hopefully start to bring some some sense on to our roads.

“I know that empathy requires imagination”.

I don’t have to imagine, been there, done that.

[Daphne – Exactly. So enough.]

Basically, he was prosecuted only because he did the right thing in going home, telling his father, and then filing a report at the police station. Hadn’t he done that, nobody would have been any the wiser.

Oh so that’s alright then, I can just kill somebody, plead guilty and hop off scotch free (almost).

[Daphne – You deliberately misunderstand me. I’m pointing out that this man could have gone home, slept it off and forgotten about it. But he didn’t. The fact that he owned up should have been enough for the bereaved family to forgive him, always bearing in mind that this young man carries a life sentence too. I am astonished at the way some people look at punishment here: just like shariah law, retribution and a life for a life. Prison is there for a purpose, and in this case, imprisonment would serve no purpose at all except satisfying the retributory feelings of the victims. That’s why I made the comparison to shariah law. ]

Last week it was reported that former President Chirac of France had cut a deal that he would return, if I remember correctly, 2 million euros that he had got through kickbacks and bribes while Mayor of Paris. He would return this money and all charges would be dropped. These charges had been made while he was still President, but they had been filed because of his having immunity.

French MPs found this disgusting. So if a common thief pleads guilty to robbery, but promises to return the loot, all charges can be dropped as well.

[Daphne – You’re not comparing like with like. Magistrates have a certain amount of discretion and they use it. That’s justice. Those who don’t agree with a judgement can appeal. If this man had deliberately driven at the jogger and mowed him down with a view to killing or maiming him, then yes, he would have gone to jail. I know that empathy requires imagination, but at least try to understand that, just as you could have been the jogger, so you could have been the driver.]

People are criticizing Magistrate Edwina Grima. This is a serious magistrate – unlike someone we know – but possibly made a miscalculation of guilt. (Possibly.)

It might be that the age for appointments to the bench should be raised.

In the case of you-know-who, the age factors plays no role. She’s ripe to be kicked out.

[Daphne – I think Magistrate Grima did the right thing. The bereaved family are missing the point that he was convicted and has a criminal record. She just didn’t think it would serve any purpose to send an otherwise decent man in his 20s, who probably fell asleep at the wheel, to prison. I agree with her completely. It could have been any one of us back then and it could have been any of our children, most of whom drive back home at that time of night. Prison is for real criminals. The bereaved family, and those commenting online are also missing the crucial point that, if this young man and his parents had no conscience, he would have simply driven home and said nothing. There were no witnesses. Basically, he was prosecuted only because he did the right thing in going home, telling his father, and then filing a report at the police station. Hadn’t he done that, nobody would have been any the wiser.]

Compared to that, taking other people’s intellectual property is a a doddle.

It’s the internet for Christ’s sake. Custom-built for morons. The decent live their lives in the real world.