To be fair , i think the Ashers Bakery case blows a hole inthat argument esp when one considers that gay marriage is still not law in NI . TBH, i 'd be surprised if the case fails as the evidence against the Nordic Model mounts up month by month and is overwhelmingly dependent on dodgy sytats and emotive rhetoric - something which rarely carries weight the further up the legal tree one ascends.Originally Posted by Dom Dunn
what happened today?Now delayed until February 6!
Methinks, they are possibly trying to frustrate her and exhaust her funds or they are waiting until the nonsense is brought in down South, before hearing her case!
Not sure that the Bakery case is relevant but I hope you are right about the likely outcome. In relation to gay marriage is there a challenge to the ban also in the NI courts or what is the situation?
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Space International, a group set up to campaign for those abused through prostitution, and Equality Now, have been granted intervener status in proceedings brought by Laura.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/ne...-35429494.html
Back in court on April 6th to get a listing date for the full hearing. So yet more delay......
Space International - http://spaceinternational.ie/ Includes THe Lovely Rachel Moran
Equality Now - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equality_Now
Last edited by The Libertarian; 08-02-17 at 01:48.
Ride them on the beaches!
MidlifeCrisis (08-02-17)
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This looks like pretty bad news - quite a coup for "the other side". Those two organisations have been active campaigners for criminalisation, so Laura will be more of a lone voice than ever.
As I said in a previous post it is very unlikely that she will get justice in NI. She will have to go to London for this one methinks. I think the best way to challenge this is probably within the context of a prosecution. In this case the accused person
would argue their case on constitutional and related grounds eliminating this intervener status category. With respect to the continual change in commencement date it is beyond a joke at this stage but then you are dealing with a failed political and soon to be economic entity.
Laura has tweeted that she also has groups in the case supporting her position so i gather the aforementioned groups are effectively supporters for the state's case.
Case is still going ahead but just not as soon as everybody liked . Would fully expect for the law to be struck down as the opposing view position has always being dependent on on covering up damning Swedish police reports on both the size of the sex trade and the negative effects of the law together with soundbites and rhetoric . That'll certainly work for self-serving politicians but the judiciary demand much higher standards of integrity . As i said previous , the Ashers Bakery case (a much trickier debate) showed that moralistic grandstanding doesnt really cut the mustard in a superior court
Last edited by milkman; 08-02-17 at 19:08.
Hope you are right Milkman but I am still not convinced the courts up North will throw it out. Then again perhaps I am doing them a dis-service.
The courts won't find in Laura's favour. It is one thing to interpret an existing law (for example the "bakery case”) but it is another thing when you want to overturn a law.
Under UK law, Parliament, (and unfortunately that includes the clowns in Stormont) have the power to pass whatever law they like, and the courts can only interpret said law, not overturn it.
I wish her well but cannot be optimistic about her chances of success.
As a matter of interest, on what grounds ,iyo,do you believe that the courts will reject her case ? The only western court that i'm aware of which has seen a similar case in recent years was the Canadian Bedford case in which the Supreme Court found unanimously 9 -0 that the pertaining laws(similar to the laws right now here in RoI) were unlawful. Unfortunately , the court decision then allowed the Harper govt enough wriggle room to introduce the Swedish model which was enacted within 12 months.
Human rights specialist Michael Lynn's favourable assessment on the non-constitutionality on the law , as at SWAI's website is worth checking out . And the one thing which his assessment doesn't make any capital on is the complete and deliberate non-disclosure of damning Swedish police reports that provide the foundation for the promotion of the Swedish model as a success.
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