h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

From the Guardian....

"... one of the most controversial proposals, to introduce a £5,000 fine for those refusing to identify themselves or answer questions, has been dropped. MPs, civil liberty and Muslim groups had attacked it as unnecessary and counterproductive, particularly after learning that senior police officers had neither requested the change nor been consulted."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/terrorism/story/0,,2097150,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=11

"if silent at court this will be deemed contempt. If evidence is there for a conviction you will be convicted regardless and a contempt conviction thrown in"

As I suspected - contempt of court would be the first place they'd getcha.

So the natural next question is... if evidence is NOT there for a conviction on the offence, do you get banged up for the contempt alone?

And if so, does that seem wrong to anyone else?

SoRB

By the way, thanks SWL for that!

SoRB

"So the natural next question is... if evidence is NOT there for a conviction on the offence, do you get banged up for the contempt alone?"

I think if it got this far it'd be better to lock someone up for being terminally stupid... We're stretching this from a simple thought experiment into the realms of fantasy now...

Unless you're as guilty as sin of something pretty heinous - who in their right mind would push the right of silence so far that they've effectively cut themselves off from their family, friends and previous life, chosen to be locked up in a prison until the police can identify them, chosen to act in contempt of court... For what???

As I said, I can't see anyone pushing things that far unless they really are guilty of something pretty serious... Especially as in 99% of cases the police would be able to find out who you were anyway and all you're doing is refusing to confirm information they'd already wasted lots of time finding out.

It's just a thought experiment. Like you say, if anyone actually DID it, I don't think I'd have much sympathy. I was just interested to know what would happen, in principle, to someone who was guilty of nothing at all except refusal to speak.

SoRB