Cabinet in Exile

On my way to Aylesbury College, my bus stops at the bus stop pictured to the left. I normally don't take much notice of bus shelters, but one morning I noticed the sign attached.

The shelter had been paid for by the exiled President of Czechoslovakia. In these two obscure villages in the very heart of Buckinghamshire the cabinet of occupied Czechoslovakia had found refuge.

President Benes fled after the Nazi Government of Germany had forced his resignation in the wake of the Munich Agreement. He came first to London, then moved to Aston Abbotts, some of his staff moved to nearby Wingrave.

Aylesbury & Liberty

Since February I have been visiting Aylesbury three times a week to teach law at Aylesbury College. Some of mstudents took their exam on Friday, and the rest of the exams take place this week. So, the number of visits will fall off for a while.

It is appropriate that my final law sessions should occur this week in Aylesbury. The news has been dominated by the issue of 'Freedom of Speech', as a well known TV personality and journalist faces the possibility of jail for Contempt of Court for tweeting the name of a football player who gained an injunction stopping anyone mentioning the fact of his adultery, or even that he had gained such an injunction. A Scottish newspaper published a photo of the player, with his eyes blocked out, but soccer fans (I'm not one) wouldn't have much difficulty in recognising the player. The editor may be liable. Thousands refused to be gagged yesterday by tweeting the name.

What has this to do with Aylesbury? In the 18th Century the MP, and resident of the town was a man called John Wilkes. He went to jail for publishing material which upset the rich, famous and powerful. He was one of the heroes of the struggle for freedom of speech in England (as well as a friend of liberty for America). His former home still stands in Aylesbury.

Another hero of liberty, who found that a majority of Judges were not prepared to support him (The Ship Money case), has his statue in the centre of Aylesbury - John Hampden - who was also the local MP for a short time (he represented nearby Wendover for a longer period).

Sad to say, our judges have not been the protectors and promoters of free speech in England. So it is again. That's why the right to trial by jury needs to be protected. There have been times when juries of ordinary citizens have refused to uphold attempts to enforce laws which do not have the consent of the people. Of course if any action is taken against journalists, tweeters or Twitter itself, there will not be a jury. Contempt of Court cases - which can lead to 2 years in jail - are exclusively dealt with by the judiciary ( the third branch of Government).

English Heroes - John Hampden

Another English hero associated with Aylesbury is John Hampden. He was a leader of the anti-Crown parliamentarians in the House of Commons. It was he who was taken to court over his refusal to pay the Ship Money (on his land in Stoke Mandeville, now part of the town of Aylesbury). The photograph is one I took of his statue in the centre of Aylesbury.

Previous Washminster posts on Hampden can be read via the links below

Who's honoured at Westminster
Constitutional Meat
The Ship Money Case

Hampden is commemorated in America by the naming of the towns of Hampden in Maryland, Connecticut and Maine - and the County of hampden in Massachusetts.

English Heroes - John Wilkes

I have already written a number of posts about John Wilkes - and invite you to review them

Gags
John Wilkes
The Good Old Days?
Pennsylvania Places

This photograph is of his home in Aylesbury. It is currently being converted into flats. He served as MP for the town early in his career. There is a short biography and assessment of his life and significance by Jack Lynch - available here.

Michael Mansfield

This week, with my new students at Aylesbury College, we looked at the balance of police powers (and the rights as members of society not to have criminals interfere with our lives) and the rights of an individual suspect. I highlighted the number of misscarriages of justice which undermined the legal process in the scefic cases - but also undermined the integrity of the English legal system. Many of the safeguards now in place are a response to the weaknesses shown up in these cases.

So we looked at the Guildford Four; The Maguire Seven; The Birmingham Six; Stefan Kiszko; Judith Ward; the Bridgewater Three....

While prepping for my session, I bought - and have been reading Michael Mansfield's "Memoirs of A Radical Lawyer" - he describes many of the cases he has been involved in - and explains how easily justice can be undermined. I would recommend the book to anyone studying Law - it's an interesting book to read, he is certainly an interesting individual - but it should also provoke thought - about the role of lawyers; of how "justice" can be delivered; and of the very real dangers of relying on "expert" evidence.