An addition to the council tax debate. This is a gem.
"Imprisonment for council tax default is unlawful because the law states that imprisonment is a last resort and other methods should be tried first: the courts can either order attachment of payment from benefit if the debtor is unemployed or from wages/salary if the debtor has a job, and from any savings account if the debtor has neither job nor benefit but has assets, so there is always an alternative. Unfortunately, some magistrates impose custody on council tax debtors as a punishment; but this is explicitly forbidden by law. Owing money is not a crime, and imposing any form of punishment is not permitted by law. "
Magistrates are not judges and rarely have legal qualifications. They are administrators working for the CPS and are directed by CPS lawyers. Actual justice for all criminal matters means that a Court of Record and jury trial are absolute rights of every individual inhabitant.
Lloyd and 44 others v UK is an interesting case and probably never mentioned in the main press! I wonder why?
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