We all want the justice to which we are entitled. Do you think that in this country justice is always done? I believe that everyone’s initial reaction to this question would be to say NO, justice is not always done.

I believe that we are all victims of the joke which this country calls the legal system. The system is not right and making a mockery of the term justice.

Do you think, for example, it is write that paedophiles can sex offend, go to jail, come out a few months later and be free to offend again? Well it is a fact that 33% of sex offenders do re offend.

The News of the World recently released names of convicted paedophiles. This inevitably caused a shock reaction by the public, and can you blame them? All they want to know is that their children will be safe. However the releasing of this information was said to be detrimental to the safety of the paedophiles.

I’m not saying that people don’t deserve a second chance. In some cases they do but do people deserve a third, fourth or even fifth chance? Well the way the legal system is at the moment we are giving the criminals more chances than cats have lives.

I like the idea that the police are now learning about the whereabouts of convicted offenders so that they can protect all the potential victims within the community. The electronic tagging system is helping with this.

When the police do convict the criminals I believe that the punishment is not strong enough. I think that we, as a country, need to look towards something such as the American punishment system. We need to look at things like the Army boot camps. We need to make the criminals suffer as they have caused much suffering themselves.

It’s good to see that the Conservative Party is proposing that the law should protect the victims more so than the offenders. But will this actually happen? Or are we prepared to listen to lies told again and again and again by politicians.

Your house could be broken into at any time. The law states that you are allowed to use strong force to protect yourself. But how far is the victim aloud to take this law. In most cases it is not very far. As we hear time and time again about cases where the criminal has turned the victim into the criminal either suing or for G.B.H or claiming for having been attacked. This is a prime example of the law protecting the criminal as opposed to the victim. It is preposterous and has to be brought to an end.

There is no doubt; our justice system must be revamped. It must be there to serve us, the law-abiding community. Justice must always be done. We as a country must set an example and show every one in the world that we are not going to tolerate criminal activity nor keep on living our lives in fear. What do you think? Is the justice system in your country right?

By Mark Hopley, Bishop Heber Community School

Response and comments to mark.hopley@talk21.com