Thread: Discharge Without Conviction

Originally Posted by ebf

Interesting thread

So many people wanting to be judge, jury and executioner it seems...

And yet so little understanding of how the justice system actually works... I wonder how many of you guys have been inside a court during a criminal trial - as a spectator, or even as a defendant ? Would you have the same hard-line views if it was your son or brother who acted in a rash way and made some stupid mistakes ?

Sentencing guidelines reflect a county's societal values. What this thread very clearly demonstrates is that the forum contains a lot of people who are pretty far out of step with current-day NZ. That's not a bad thing... it is just an observation.

To be out of step requires that we are all required to walk in step, so that is an invalid notion in this context, and a tad oppressive of free debate.

But yes, nothing wrong with having mercy on a young person who has done something idiotic.