The Law and Civil Liberties Part II There are offences of criminal law which can lead to fines or imprisonment and are investigated by the police. Civil law is when an individual takes action through the courts to determine responsibilities or to seek damages. Civil liberties are freedoms which protect individuals from state abuse or government power. Civil liberties set limits for government so that it cannot abuse its power and interfere with the lives of its citizens In this country we enjoy certain rights such as freedom of assembly, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, the right to due process, to a fair trial, to own property and to privacy. 1.Right to Life 2.Prohibition of torture 3.Prohibition of slavery and forced labour 4.Right to liberty and security 5.Right to a fair trial 6.No punishment without law 7.Right to respect for private and family life 8.Freedom of thought, conscience and religion 9.Freedom of expression 10.Freedom of assembly and association 11.Right to marry CCTV cameras - the U.K has more surveillance equipment than the whole of Europe put together. ASBOs – Anti Social Behaviour Orders restrict movements and control offenders. Mosquito Repellers (low level sonic devices that only affect young people)

The Law and Civil Liberties Rule – a regulation or principle governing conduct or procedure within a given sphere. Law – a rule or set of rules regulating the activities of members of country or community and enforced through penalties; something regarded as having binding force. Rule of law – the law is sovereign. Nobody is above the law and will face a sanction. Driving whilst using a mobile phone (not with hands-free device). fine Parking your vehicle on double yellow lines. fine Neglecting your child, emotionally and financially. prison Stealing stationery from work. warning Benefit fraud. prison Murder. prison

Capital Punishment information Capital punishment is the practice of executing someone as punishment for a specific crime after a proper legal trial. It can only be used by a state, so when non-state organisations speak of having 'executed' a person they have actually committed a murder. It is usually only used as a punishment for particularly serious types of murder, but in some countries treason, types of fraud, adultery and rape are capital crimes. The phrase 'capital punishment' comes from the Latin word for the head. A 'corporal' punishment, such as flogging, takes its name from the Latin word for the body. Capital punishment is used in many countries around the world. According to Amnesty International as at May 2012, 141 countries have abolished the death penalty either in law on in practice. China executes the most people per year overall, with an estimated figure of 1,718 in 2008. Amnesty International also states that in 2008 Iran executed at least 346 people, the USA 111, Saudi Arabia 102 and Pakistan 36. Details of which countries are abolitionist and which are retentionist can be found on the Amnesty website. There is now steadily increasing support for abolishing capital punishment. On 18 December 2008, the United Nations adopted resolution 63/168, which is a reaffirmation of its call for a moratorium on the use of the death penalty (62/149) passed in December the previous year. The resolution calls for states to freeze executions with a view to eventual abolition. The World Coalition against the Death Penalty was created in Rome in 2002, and 10th October 2006 was World Day against the Death Penalty.

For or Against Capital punishment For:Murderers forfeit their human rights when they take other peoples lives. The punishment should fit the crime. If the punishment is too light it cheapens our rights to life. It is common sense to say that killing murderers will deter others. It is hard to prove the effect because you are measuring something not happening. A killer who has been executed can never do it again. executions are used to show people to show that murder is wrong. Against:The death penalty goes against our most basic human right - the right to life Being killed by lethal injection or being electrocuted is not always smooth and painless, sometimes it causes a painful death. No-one has ever proven with numbers that killing murderers stops other people committing similar crimes. Mistakes are sometimes made in the law and some people may be executed, but they are innocent.

PM to crack down on 'time-wasting' appeals The prime minister told business leaders he would "get a grip" on people forcing unnecessary delays. Judicial review applications would cost more, with less time put aside to apply and fewer chances to appeal. But green groups said planning laws protected the environment and should not be blamed for economic failings. On Twitter, Conservative MP Zac Goldsmith criticised Mr Cameron, writing: "So the same PM whose dithering on airports will cost 3-6 years is now enraged by the delays affecting big infrastructure decisions?" He added that there was a "gap between what the PM says and what the PM does". In his speech to the CBI conference in London, Mr Cameron said the government had been "too slow" at cutting the deficit. 'Hopeless causes' He pledged to end "equality impact assessments", which need to be carried out when new policy or legislation is introduced. He insisted that "bureaucratic nonsense" was not necessary to ensuring the rights of different sexes, races and religions were upheld. Individuals and organisations can seek a judicial review if they think a decision by a public body has been made unlawfully. The review, carried out by a judge, looks only at the way the decision was reached - rather than whether it was correct or not. A recent example was Virgin's successful challenge against the awarding of the West Coast Mainline rail franchise to First Group. It was found there had been "significant flaws" in decision-making. Downing Street figures show more than 11,000 applications for judicial review were made in 2011, compared with just 160 in 1975. BBC legal correspondent Clive Coleman said the majority of these had related to asylum cases, which was where the "real growth" had taken place. But, in his address to the CBI, the prime minister said the increase in unnecessary applications had been too great: "We urgently need to get a grip on this. So here's what we're going to do: reduce the time limit when people can bring cases; charge more for reviews - so people think twice about time-wasting." It is unclear yet how much the fees would rise by for review applications or by how much the three-month time limit for applications might be cut. But Mr Cameron said that "instead of giving hopeless cases up to four bites of the cherry to appeal a decision, we will halve that to two". Downing Street refused to identify any infrastructure projects which had been delayed by judicial review, saying it was "not going into specific examples". Mr Cameron also argued for less Whitehall bureaucracy and greater emphasis on the pursuit of economic growth. He argued that government was "too slow in getting stuff done" and that civil servants must appreciate delays were felt in "businesses going bust, jobs being lost" and "livelihoods being destroyed". Mr Cameron drew a historical analogy, saying: "When this country was at war in the '40s, Whitehall underwent a revolution. "Normal rules were circumvented. Convention was thrown out. As one historian put it, everything was thrown at 'the overriding purpose' of beating Hitler. "Well, this country is in the economic equivalent of war today - and we need the same spirit. We need to forget about crossing every 't' and dotting every 'i' - and we need to throw everything we've got at winning in this global race." For Labour, shadow local government minister Jack Dromey told BBC Two's Daily Politics: "This is the same prime minister who kicked into the long grass a decision on airports for at least three years. "He is presiding over a shambles in government, where it can't make its mind up on an urgent policy." And Friends of the Earth's Executive Director Andy Atkins said the planning system played "an important role in protecting our green and pleasant land". He added: "It mustn't become a scapegoat for the government's economic failings. "EU rules protect peoples' legal right to defend their environment - any moves to prevent this may well be unlawful. Protecting the environment and boosting the economy are two sides of the same coin." Joe Rukin, co-ordinator of the Stop HS2 campaign against plans to build the High Speed 2, rail link: "The government seem to be making out that they believe any of their infrastructure plans should be above the law and do not realise that it is essential in a democratic society to be able to hold the government to account."

gazas death toll reaches over 100 people! More than 100 people have died in the Gaza Strip in six days of violence, Hamas officials say, as Israeli forces continue a bombardment they say aims to stop rocket attacks into Israel. Monday's fatalities include a commander of the Islamic Jihad militant group. More than 100 rockets were fired on Israel by militants on Monday. Three Israelis have died since Wednesday. Efforts to secure a ceasefire continue, with a senior Egyptian official saying there are "encouraging signs". UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has arrived in Cairo to aid negotiating efforts. He plans to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the coming days. US President Obama spoke to his Egyptian counterpart Mohamed Mursi and to Mr Netanyahu on Monday and "discussed ways to de-escalate the situation in Gaza," the White House said in a statement. Mr Obama "underscored the necessity of Hamas ending rocket fire into Israel" in his call to Mr Mursi, and "expressed regret for the loss of Israeli and Palestinian civilian lives" in both calls. Khaled Meshaal, the political leader of the Islamist movement Hamas which controls Gaza, said Mr Netanyahu had requested a ceasefire but that it was up to Israel to stop the war that, he said, it had started. "Hamas's comments about a ceasefire, alleging that Israel is begging for one, are about as accurate as its claims to have shot down an F-15 [warplane] or attacked the Knesset," Reuters news agency quoted a senior government official as saying. Mr Meshaal said that a truce was possible in Gaza - as was further escalation of the conflict. Mr Meshaal said Hamas' conditions for a truce included lifting the Israeli blockade on Gaza and an end to "Israel's assassinations". Israel has also presented conditions for a ceasefire, which include no hostile fire of any kind from Gaza and international efforts to prevent Hamas from rearming. Meanwhile, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan described Israel as a "terrorist state", citing the "massacre of children" during its bombardments of Gaza. Once cordial relations between Turkey and Israel soured after Israeli marines stormed a Turkish aid ship in 2010 during a naval blockade of Gaza.

European workers stage austerity protests General strikes in Spain and Portugal halted transport, businesses and schools and led to clashes between police and protesters in Madrid. Smaller strikes were reported in Greece, Italy and Belgium, and rallies were planned in other countries. Hundreds of flights have been cancelled in Spain and Portugal. Airlines are recommending passengers check the schedules before setting out to airports. The European Trade Union Confederation has co-ordinated the Europe-wide action. The confederation's Judith Kirton-Darling told the BBC that austerity was not working. "It's increasing inequalities, it's increasing the social instability in society and it's not resolving the economic crisis," she said. Some 40 groups from 23 countries are involved in Wednesday's demonstrations. 'There is just no work' Unions in Spain and Portugal started strikes at midnight to protest against austerity measures that have combined tax rises with cuts in salaries, pensions, benefits and social services. Marchers came out late on Tuesday in Spain, where 25% are unemployed, the highest rate in Europe. "I have two sons in my house, one is getting subsidies, the other has been at home for the last three years," said protesting housewife, Paqui Olmo. "It is not that he doesn't want to work, there is just no work." In the first reported clashes of the day, picketers and police fought at a Madrid bus depot where demonstrators were trying to stop buses from leaving. There were outbreaks of violence in other Spanish cities, and the interior ministry said more than 30 arrests had been made. The government has played down the strike, saying the electricity grid is registering 80% of its normal usage. But unions claim the operations of several large companies, including Danone and Heineken, have ground to a halt. In neighbouring Portugal, demonstrators took to the streets in the early hours, carrying banners denouncing the European Union, International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank. The so-called troika has bailed out Portugal to the tune of 78bn euros ($100bn; £62bn), and demanded deep austerity measures in return. The BBC's Chris Morris in Lisbon says public transport has come to a virtual standstill, and many schools and public offices are expected to be closed.

religous beliefs and their affects on society

republic: a state or country that is not led by a hereditary monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people) have impact on its government. Dictatorship: Absolute rule by leadership unrestricted by law, constitutions, or other social and political factors. Democracy: A form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system. Absolute monarchy: A monarchical form of government where the king and queen have absolute power over everything. constitutional monarchy: A form of constitutional government, wherein either an elected or hereditary monarch is the head of state, unlike in an absolute monarchy, wherein the king or the queen is the sole source of political power, as he or she is not legally bound by the national constitution. What problems, do you think, may arise with having a secular government? one problem is that religous groups may disagree with the governments ideas and laws as it goes against their religion. also the government may not take into account religous beliefs and religous groups may not like that. What difficulties, do you think, can arise with the existence of different religious beliefs (even in one type of religion) in one country? the government do not take into account religous peoples beleifs and opinions. a lot of difficulties will arise as nearly every religion has different views on things and differences. for example the jews and the muslims have been fighting for a country for years as the muslims believe it is theirs and the jews think that it is theirs, therefore they fight for it. Should people be allowed to voice their opinion? yes they should be allowed to voice their opinion because god gave everyone a right to freedom of speech. Is this discrimination? yes what they are doing is called homophobia and that is a type of discrimination. Was it a good way to get their point across? no because people would take no notice of what they are doing. Sharia law is Islam's legal system. It is derived from both the Koran, as the word of God, the example of the life of the prophet Muhammad, and fatwas - the rulings of Islamic scholars. But Sharia differs in one very important and significant way to the legal traditions of the Western world: it governs, or at least informs, every aspect of the life of a Muslim.

stem cell news Los Angeles: Researchers are reporting a key advance in using stem cells to repair hearts damaged by cardiac attacks. In a study, stem cells donated by strangers proved as safe and effective as patients’ own cells for helping restore heart tissue. The work involved just 30 patients in Miami and Balitmore, but proves the concept that anyone’s cells can be used to treat such cases. Doctors are excited because this suggests that stem cells could be banked for off-the-shelf use after heart attacks, just as blood is kept on hand now. Results were discussed Monday at an American Heart Association conference in California and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study used a specific type of stem cell from bone marrow that researchers believed would not be rejected by recipients. Unlike other cells, these lack a key feature on their surface that makes the immune system see them as foreign tissue and attacks them, explained the study’s leader, Dr Joshua Hare of the University of Miami. The patients in the study had suffered heart attacks years earlier, some as long as 30 years ago. All had developed heart failure because the scar tissue from the cardiac attack had weakened their hearts so much that they grew large and flabby, unable to pump blood effectively. Researchers advertised for people to supply marrow. The cells were removed from the marrow using a needle into the hip and then amplified for about a month in a lab at Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins University, then returned to Miami to be used for treatment, which did not involve surgery. The cells were delivered through a tube pushed through a groin artery into the heart near the scarred area. Fifteen patients were given cells from their own marrow and 15 others, cells from strangers. About a year later, scar tissue had been reduced by about one-third. Both groups had improvements in how far they could walk and in quality of life. There was no significant difference in one measure of how well their hearts were able to pump blood, but doctors hope these patients will continue to improve over time, or that refinements in treatment will lead to better results. The big attraction is being able to use cells supplied by others, with no blood or tissue matching needed. “You could have the cells ready to go in the blood bank so when the patient comes in for a therapy — there’s no delay,” Hare said. “It’s also cheaper to make the donor cells,” and a single marrow donor can supply enough cells to treat as many as 10 people. Dr Elliott Antman of Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston who heads the heart conference, praised the work. “That opens up an entire new avenue for stem cell therapy, like a sophisticated version of a blood bank,” he said. There’s an advantage in not having to create a cell therapy for each patient, and it could spare them the pain and wait of having their own marrow harvested, he said. The study was sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. Hare owns stock in a biotech company working on a treatment using a mixture of cells. Juan Lopez received his own cells in the study, and said it improved his symptoms so much that at age 70, he was able to return to his job as an engineer and sales manager for a roofing manufacturer and ride an exercise bike. “It has been a life-changing experience,” said Lopez, who lives in Miami. “I can feel day by day, week by week, month by month, my improvement. I don’t have any shortness of breath and my energy level is way up there. I don’t have any fluid in my lungs.”

Rat in theatre leads to ops cancelled at King's Mill A spokeswoman from King's Mill Hospital, in Mansfield, said the rodent had entered the theatre at night last week when the room was not in use. Pest controllers were called into the hospital and as a result, several operations had to be cancelled. Hospital bosses have apologised for the "inconvenience" to patients and said the theatre was now fully operational. 'Eradicate the problem' Karen Tomlinson, director of operations at the hospital, said she was shocked to learn evidence of a rodent had been found in an operating theatre. She said: "As soon as we became aware of this fact the following morning, we immediately took steps to thoroughly clean the area and called in external pest control experts to eradicate the problem. "Whilst this work was under way, it was therefore necessary to postpone a small number of operations and we have apologised to any patients affected for the inconvenience caused." Rats can spread salmonella and carry the potentially fatal Weil's disease.

Opinion: a personal view, attitude, or appraisal. Fact: something that actually exists; reality; truth: Your fears have no basis in fact. Belief: confidence in the truth or existence of something not immediately susceptible to rigorous proof. Abortions in the United Kingdom must be carried out in the first 24 weeks of a pregnancy. Fact Killing is wrong. Opinion and fact God created life on this planet.belief One fact about GM crops is that it benefiits the enviroment. One opinion about GM crops is that bt crops may favour the economy One belief about GM crops is john pickett said that gm farming is a crude use of genetic engineering the picture of hitler is the one that allows killing and dieing as he was the leader of the nazi and he ordered the deaths of over 6 million deaths to the jewish religion. Has science overstepped moral boundaries with stem cell research? i do not think that they have they are simply trying to make life. Are we playing God? i beleive that what they are trying to do is something that only god could do and i think that they are trying to do to much. Is the outcome of research always justifiable regardless of the means? sometimes it is but if the experiment is an inhumane experiment then the outcome is one where they harmed something or someone to get their results. Who do you think should make the decision about the future of stem cell research? i think that the scientists carrying out the experiments should decide becuase they are the people who know the most about stem cell research and they know whether it is dangerous or not. Should it be politicians? no because they will make it all about the money and the cost of experiments and procedures.