Skip to main content

Proceeding contribution from John Pugh (Liberal Democrat) in the House of Commons on Tuesday, 7 October 2008. It occurred during Adjournment debate on Local Government Standards Boards.


Local Government Standards Boards

There is a difficulty of which I hope the Minister is aware. When someone is charged with a motoring offence and found not guilty, they will not subsequently be advised to take extra driving lessons or something like that, because that would almost imply a not proven verdict. It would imply that there was a belief on the part of the committee that the person was guilty as charged, but it tried to give them a softer deal. There is a difficulty in proposing an alternative course of action that is appropriate to the allegation, if it is true, when the allegation has not been found to be true, because that can leave the person in the worst possible world of having been acquitted on the issue of fact but still, in the eyes of the public, being held to be generally guilty.


Secondary information

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
480 c64WH 
Session
2007-08
Chamber / Committee
Westminster Hall
Subjects
Complaints Councillors Local government Standards Standards Board for England
Link
View this Proceeding contribution on www.publications.parliament.uk