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The Urge to Over-Legislate: Criminal Law and Public Opinion in the United Kingdom
Publication Date: March 2008
Publisher(s): Heritage Foundation (Washington, D.C.)
Author(s): Inigo Bing
Series: Heritage Lecture
Topic: Law and ethics (Criminal law)
Law and ethics (Civil law)
Keywords: Legal issues; legislate; reform club; over-legislate
Type: Speech
Coverage: Great Britain
Abstract:
In the 10 years in which Tony Blair was Prime Minister in Britain a total of 3,023 new offenses were legislated--roughly two new crimes created for every day Parliament was in session. Many of these new laws are trivial and unnecessary. Many of the offenses are addressed appropriately in civil law. But lawmakers bowed to the public's clamor to "do something" with results that are unjust and destructive.