Law Before
Justice: Published letter
Source: The
Argus, Worthing, UK
Pub Date:
Tuesday 13 January 2003
Pub LTE: Law Before Justice
Author: Alun
Buffry
URL: http://www.thisisworthing.co.uk/worthing/archive/2004/01/13/LETTERS10ZM.html
Contact: letters@theargus.co.uk
Ref: Cannabis
Cafes: http://www.ccguide.org/cannabiscafes.php
LAW BEFORE
JUSTICE
I recently
attended the sentencing of Chris Baldwin at Chichester Crown Court
("Pro-cannabis trader jailed", The Argus, January 10).
I was confused
that Mr Baldwin was being sent to prison after what amounted to a glowing
summation of his character.
The Judge
described him as "honest", "sincere", with a "genuine
belief in his medical need for cannabis after 30 years of suffering ... and
honest commitment to try to persuade the Government to change the law".
He said the
cannabis cafes managed by Mr Baldwin were run with strict rules (age
restrictions, no alcohol or hard drugs), caused no nuisance to locals and were
politically-driven rather money-orientated.
Judge Sessions
also referred to the other two co-defendants (Winston Matthews and Mark Benson)
as sincere with a genuine belief in the medicinal value of cannabis for their
pain. They were given suspended sentences and curfew respectively.
However, Mr Baldwin
was already on a suspended sentence for previous victimless cannabis offences
and it seemed the judge felt his hands were tied by the law and he was forced
to bring that sentence into effect, although reducing it.
That just about
sums up the case - the interests of the law are apparently above the interests
of the public and of justice.
How can it be
just to send to prison an honest and sincere crippled man who not only has no
victims to his so-called crimes, but has a massive amount of support from those
in pain who he helped gain some relief beyond that provided by conventional
pharmaceutical drugs?
There is
something wrong not only with the law against cannabis but with the legal
system in general when law comes before justice.
-Alun Buffry, Norwich