large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_12_belloc_64kb_57
large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_12_belloc_64kb
English
7264
You may, of course, commit any crime with impunity if the professional politicians among the lawyers refuse to prosecute. But that is only a negative evil. YOU MAY OF COURSE COMMIT ANY CRIME WITH IMPUNITY IF THE PROFESSIONAL POLITICIANS AMONG THE LAWYERS REFUSE TO PROSECUTE BUT THAT IS ONLY A NEGATIVE EVIL
 devoted to it, and that it is only consciously tyrannical or fraudulent when the Legal Guild feels _itself_ to be in danger. But far more important than the legislative power of the Legal Guild (which is now the chief framer of statutory law as it has long been the _salutary_ source of common law) is its executive or governing power. Whether after exposing a political scandal you shall or shall not be subject to the risk of ruin or loss of liberty, and all the exceptionally cruel scheme of modern imprisonment, depends negatively upon the Legal Guild. That is, so long as the lawyers support the politicians you have no redress, and only in case of independent action by the lawyers against the politicians, with whom they have come to be so closely identified, have you any opportunity for discussion and free trial. The old idea of the lawyer on the Bench protecting the subject against the arbitrary power of the executive, of the judge independent of the government, has nearly disappeared. E GREATEST LABOR IS DEVOTED TO IT AND THAT IT IS ONLY CONSCIOUSLY TYRANNICAL OR FRAUDULENT WHEN THE LEGAL GUILD FEELS ITSELF TO BE IN DANGER BUT FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE LEGISLATIVE POWER OF THE LEGAL GUILD WHICH IS NOW THE CHIEF FRAMER OF STATUTORY LAW AS IT HAS LONG BEEN THE STATUTORY SOURCE OF COMMON LAW IS ITS EXECUTIVE OR GOVERNING POWER WHETHER AFTER EXPOSING A POLITICAL SCANDAL YOU SHALL OR SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO THE RISK OF RUIN OR LOSS OF LIBERTY AND ALL THE EXCEPTIONALLY CRUEL SCHEME OF MODERN IMPRISONMENT DEPENDS NEGATIVELY UPON THE LEGAL GUILT THAT IS SO LONG AS THE LAWYERS SUPPORT THE POLITICIANS YOU HAVE NO REDRESS AND ONLY IN CASE OF INDEPENDENT ACTION BY THE LAWYERS AGAINST THE POLITICIANS WITH WHOM THEY HAVE COME TO BE SO CLOSELY IDENTIFIED HAVE YOU ANY OPPORTUNITY FOR DISCUSSION AND FREE TRIAL THE OLD IDEA OF THE LAWYER ON THE BENCH PROTECTING THE SUBJECT AGAINST THE ARBITRARY POWER OF THE EXECUTIVE OF THE JUDGE INDEPENDENT OF THE GOVERNMENT HAS NEARLY DISAPPEARED
large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_12_belloc_64kb
file
download/librilight/large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_12_belloc_64kb.flac