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Under the new Government proposal, victims of anti social behaviour will be able to choose the crime for the convicted.
Fuck me evryone is going to become Judge Judy and I’m sure Daily Mail readers will want the birch or hanging for everyone, especially if they are not white. Will hug a hoodie mentatlity prevail or can other menial tasks be given to those so ‘a lesson will be learnt’.
I thought the whole point of a justce system is the impartiality, without this you might as well arrange a vigilante crew for every neighbourhood. Everyone meet on Friday night at the stocks to throw rotten veg at the latest scalliwag.
Whilst I don’t believe the state should be so entwined with peoples lives whilst it is, it shouldn’t devolve itself of key responsibilities.
Jason E Cooper 
Interesting comment. I am not disagreeing with you, but I think Cameron’s stupid Big Society idea is at work here. However, the idea of the guilty proposing their own punishment was a central idea of ancient Greek democracy. Socrates was found guilty of impiety and corrupting the youth, and invited to propose his own punishment. His death sentence was not for these ‘crimes’ but for proposing a reward, rather than a punishment. This, he knew was a capital offence and deliberately invited it so he could become a martyr. It paid off: he was recognised as a martyr, the Government was brought down by those who later supported him. I published this version several years ago. You won’t find it in the conventional history sources.