Posts by Matthew Poole
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Hard News: This time it's Syria, in reply to Howard Edwards,
Ban frivolous vetoing – perhaps the UN could adopt a system like tennis and cricket where you can only use three vetoes per year?
Or just do one of:
a) dispense with the permanent member concept entirely;
b) dispense with the permanent members having veto. -
OnPoint: BTW, the NZ Police can use…, in reply to Colin Fleming,
[NSA’s] new data centre in Utah is estimated by William Binney (ex-NSA operative turned whistleblower) to store 5 zettabytes
A figure which is now believed to be over-blown by many orders of magnitude. People who actually know servers and infrastructure are saying the figure is exabytes, definitely, but certainly not zettabytes.
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Legal Beagle: The Police Investigation…, in reply to Graeme Edgeler,
You must not only have speed, you must also have danger.
And it's quite possible to have danger without having speed. If you're doing 90km/h on the open road when it's foggy, been snowing, and there are black-ice warning signs, despite not exceeding the speed limit you will almost certainly be nailed for dangerous driving if there's a crash, because that is objectively dangerous in the circumstances despite being below the posted limit.
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Legal Beagle: The Police Investigation…, in reply to Graeme Edgeler,
There is also (for the most part), an intent requirement for manslaughter
Isn’t there always an intent requirement for manslaughter, in that you always have to have intended to do whatever it was that resulted in the death? It’s the difference between a construction worker tripping and knocking a concrete block off the edge of a building, or throwing it off without being told that it’s clear below. As distinct from dropping a concrete block off a motorway over-bridge, which I believe would be murder based on the legal discussions when it last happened (ETA: which were based on section 167(d) of the Crimes Act 1961).
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Hard News: Political Idol, or whatever…, in reply to BenWilson,
corporate rights
The only rights that matter, as far as the current regime are concerned.
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Hard News: This time it's Syria, in reply to Gareth Ward,
Unsure what the usual extent of UN sanctions are?
Nonexistent when a rogue regime has a permanent member of the Security Council in their pocket. It's why Israel's economy hasn't been ground to dust as a consequence of their war crimes. In Syria's case, Russia vetoes everything.
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Hard News: Political Idol, or whatever…, in reply to Lucy Telfar Barnard,
Perhaps if there’s a financial reason for an arrangement to last longer than 3 years, it would make sense to come to an agreement llikely to have cross-party support?
You mean… work together? Across party lines? How completely ridiculous! A strong leader doesn’t need bipartisan accord on anything, (s)he just needs to set the course and force things through over any opposition (with and without a capital 'O').
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Legal Beagle: Fact Check: New Bail Laws, in reply to Rich of Observationz,
supermajority required for urgency
Maybe for introducing any legislation that's not appropriations? Otherwise the Opposition would drag the Budget out for years by forcing the government of the day to pass the Budget during ordinary sitting times and with public submissions. Urgency for the Budget is a long-standing tradition conducted by both sides for many, many years. It's the use of urgency to avoid scrutiny of other legislation which has become rampant and is grossly offensive to ordinary constitutional checks.
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Has anyone pointed out that the so-called "Christie's Law" wouldn't have protected her, since Chand doesn't appear to have had prior convictions?
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Legal Beagle: Fact Check: New Bail Laws, in reply to Graeme Edgeler,
The bill had a full legislative process.
Didn't see that one coming.