fewer prosecutions for emergency services

29-09-2012, 09:32

Quote:

Fewer prosecutions should be brought against police, fire brigade and ambulance staff who commit driving offences while responding to emergencies, according to draft guidance issued by the Crown Prosecution Service on Thursday.
There may also be no public interest in charging individuals whose driving results in members of their family or close friends being killed because they will already have suffered overwhelming grief, the same public consultation suggests.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/se...g-prosecutions

http://www.cps.gov.uk/news/press_rel...ving_offences/

Good ,about time this was looked at ,we cannot have emergency service personnel scared to respond to emergencies because they may get prosecuted if it goes wrong

carlwaring · 29-09-2012, 09:37

I actually weren't aware that they could be prosecuted. Seems very strange that they could be

Glad they now seem to be sorting that out though.

29-09-2012, 09:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by carlwaring

I actually weren't aware that they could be prosecuted. Seems very strange that they could be

Glad they now seem to be sorting that out though.

They get prosecuted and in some cases sent to jail

29-09-2012, 09:41

I agree there should be fewer but definitely not none

Peter_ · 29-09-2012, 10:09

This is bull how can an emergency services driver kill a member of their own family or a friend when responding to a call, what utter tosh the person who wrote that is an idiot.

They should be prosecuted for killing someone such as an innocent pedestrian at high speed without using their blues and twos as per the below.

Quote:

PC Dougal was travelling without blue lights or a siren when he knocked down 16-year-old Hayley Adamson.

PC John Dougal has been jailed for 3 years for killing Hayley Adamson
She died instantly after she was hit by PC Dougal's Volvo estate as she crossed a residential road in Newcastle's West End last May.
He denied causing death by dangerous driving, claiming his speed in a 30mph zone was justified as he was following a suspect car.
But he was convicted by a jury at Newcastle Crown Court last month.

Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/news/644616-9...#ixzz27qsFza5Z

carlwaring · 29-09-2012, 10:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter_

This is bull how can a driver kill a member of their own family or a friend when responding to a call, what utter tosh the person who wrote that is an idiot.

You mis-understood the article. They are two separate cases.

1. Emergency service personell
2. People who kill a family member...

Perhaps the OP should have separated those sentences a bit more, but I understood what was meant

---------- Post added at 11:12 ---------- Previous post was at 11:11 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter_

They should be prosecuted for killing someone such as an innocent pedestrian at high speed without using their blues and twos as per the below.

Which, as that link showed, they are.

29-09-2012, 10:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter_

This is bull how can an emergency services driver kill a member of their own family or a friend when responding to a call, what utter tosh the person who wrote that is an idiot.

They should be prosecuted for killing someone such as an innocent pedestrian at high speed without using their blues and twos as per the below.

I see you have managed to read the article properly again ...not

that refers to the 'nearest and dearest' when ,for example, a mum crashes on the school run and her daughter/son dies ,the proposal is that they have suffered enough and it is not in the public interest to prosecute

Sirius · 29-09-2012, 10:15

This just shows what an arse the law is in this country.

29-09-2012, 10:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter_

This is bull how can an emergency services driver kill a member of their own family or a friend when responding to a call, what utter tosh the person who wrote that is an idiot.

They should be prosecuted for killing someone such as an innocent pedestrian at high speed without using their blues and twos as per the below.

Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/news/644616-9...#ixzz27qsFza5Z

He was justly convicted though.

What you need to bare in mind is the difference between accident and negligence

The negligent should be prosecuted every single time

29-09-2012, 10:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by carlwaring

Perhaps the OP should have separated those sentences a bit more, but I understood what was meant

.

That's why i linked to the CPS proposal

danielf · 29-09-2012, 11:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirius

This just shows what an arse the law is in this country.

Why? Surely the Emergency Services should not be immune to prosecution when they respond to an emergency and act irresponsibly?

carlwaring · 29-09-2012, 11:10

But we're not talking about "acting irresponsibly" are we. We're talking about accidents.

danielf · 29-09-2012, 11:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by carlwaring

But we're not talking about "acting irresponsibly" are we. We're talking about accidents.

Quote:

Fewer prosecutions should be brought against police, fire brigade and ambulance staff who commit driving offences while responding to emergencies

I'm not sure if it's an accident when an offence has been committed. There's rules that Emergency services need to adhere to. If they flout these rules and people get injured/die, then prosecution is in order in my opinion.

29-09-2012, 11:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by danielf

Why? Surely the Emergency Services should not be immune to prosecution when they respond to an emergency and act irresponsibly?

That's the problem though ,acting irresponsibly can be very subjective and leave emergency drivers wondering if they speed to a heart attack or a bomb threat will they get prosecuted if a pedestrian gets in the way .That's what happened to PC Dougal ,he responded to a ANPR event hit a girl and got sent to prison .Turned out that the ANPR was at fault but he still got sent to prison for basically doing his job

29-09-2012, 11:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by martyh

That's the problem though ,acting irresponsibly can be very subjective and leave emergency drivers wondering if they speed to a heart attack or a bomb threat will they get prosecuted if a pedestrian gets in the way .That's what happened to PC Dougal ,he responded to a ANPR event hit a girl and got sent to prison .Turned out that the ANPR was at fault but he still got sent to prison for basically doing his job

your view on PC Dougal's innocence is not shared by all either