Is It Acceptable For An Mp To Break The Law

[youngmafbog]

http://news.sky.com/story/1152122/caroline-lucas-given-fracking-arrest-court-date

As this particular case has not been in court she is of course innocent at present.

However, looking more generally (and not specifically to fracking) is it acceptable for an MP to get into a position of breaking the law and being arrested for what is in effect civil unrest? (or for any other reason for that matter)

I'm not aiming anything at the Greens or any other party here.

[Dizmo]

It isn't acceptable for anyone to break the law. I have nothing more to say.

[Zeuhl]

There is an honourable track record of MPs engaging in peaceful protest

It would be more worrying if political figures weren't sometimes engaged in this way on particular issues alongside members of the electorate

[Old_Geezer]

Assumed innocent.

Those who make the law are most responsible for setting an example. That said I think bad law is a civil duty to break, but not logically by those who made it.

[Peter Pedant]

Depends what

The Maid of Ulster - Bernadette Devlin served time and as an MP
[ butit is not truethat no one turned a hair]

whereas pretending-to-be-dead John Stonehouse was either constrained to resigned or was chicked out.

I think they can be expelled now

Charles Bradlaugh (1880s) was both fined and chucked out and re-elected
multiple times over whether as an Anglican he could 'affirm'. The result was the 1888 oaths act which allowed him to do so

[Zeuhl]

/but not logically by those who made it. /

All MPs aren't directly responsible (or in agreement) with all situations.

As long as the MP is doing all they can to address a situation from their position within the 'system' and not being a hypocrite, then solidarity with fellow citizens is fine.

[Sqad]

" peaceful protests"... Quite acceptable.

As far as I remember! Caroline Lucas's protest was other than peaceful and that was unacceptable and degrading.

[sfby]

OG - who decides whether a law is good or bad?

[Old_Geezer]

We each individually do of course. I was only acting under orders is apparently no defence.

[LazyGun]

I think peaceful protest is ok. I can only recall about 5 seconds of the coverage of that particular incident, and she was sitting, linking hands with other protestors and generally passively resisting the efforts of the police to remove her.

Had she been in the middle of it, agitating, throwing fists or molotov cocktails then that probably would not be acceptable :)

[Sqad]

LazyGun

\\\\generally passively resisting the efforts of the police to remove her. \\\

How does one "passively" resist?

[Zeuhl]

LOL sqad

You do nothing when someone tells you to do it

[sandyRoe]

Was Peon Aisley an MP when he served a prison sentence?

[Sqad]

Zeuhl....I am not the brightest bulb in the box but:

According to Newton's third law, for every action force there is an equal (in size) and opposite (in direction) reaction force. Forces always come in pairs

If Caroline Lucas was passively resisting, then my name is Rodriguez.

[ABerrant]

Sqad - "As far as I remember! Caroline Lucas's protest was other than peaceful and that was unacceptable and degrading."

Indeed, it is utterly 'unacceptable and degrading' to be peacefully sat in the road with your son and for him to be assaulted by a tattooed yob (sorry, a police constable using pressure points as a tactic to move non-compliant protestors).

[Gromit]

// As far as I remember! Caroline Lucas's protest was other than peaceful and that was unacceptable and degrading. //

You remember wrongly


. Media URL: http://youtu.be/lXnfYjWmnNE
Description:

[Sqad]

Sorry AB...your link is passively protesting.

[Gromit]

. Media URL: http://youtu.be/lXnfYjWmnNE
Description:

[Gromit]

.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXnfYjWmnNE&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[Gromit]

Had to resort to posting it from my iPad.