Did Anyone Watch ...

[Arthur Little]

... 'Common' - a thought-provoking, one~off drama - on BBC1 at 9 o'clock last night?

Screened ahead of a proposed government debate on an archaic law known as "Joint Enterprise" ... a centuries'~old legal principle which, whenever a crime is committed, assigns collective "guilt" to a group ... even if only one of the group carries out the act itself!

[Michael Parnham]

... 'Common' - a thought-provoking, one~off drama - on BBC1 at 9 o'clock last night?

Screened ahead of a proposed government debate on an archaic law known as "Joint Enterprise" ... a centuries'~old legal principle which, whenever a crime is committed, assigns collective "guilt" to a group ... even if only one of the group carries out the act itself!

Don't get chance to watch too much telly Arthur, sat down in front of Tv at 9pm watched 'The 100' on E4, it's a new Sci Fi series and wasn't to impressed should have watched BBC!

[Terpe]

I watched it Arthur

I agree, it was a thought provoking drama based around the Joint Enterprise concept. Something I was quite unaware of too.

Based solely on that drama 'Common' I personally felt it was totally unjust in those specific circumstances. But it's certainly a tricky one.

The principle seems ok but the detail is flawed.
IMO

[Dedworth]

Last night I watched

Discovery Channel "Megastorm Worlds Biggest Typhoon"

[Arthur Little]

I watched it Arthur

I agree, it was a thought provoking drama based around the Joint Enterprise concept. Something I was quite unaware of too.

Based solely on that drama 'Common' I personally felt it was totally unjust in those specific circumstances. But it's certainly a tricky one.

The principle seems ok but the *detail is flawed.
IMO

Oh *very much so, Peter ... I was fuming when that poor young lad was jailed for being [unwittingly] "involved" in a crime he'd absolutely no inkling whatsoever was about to be committed - especially one in which the victim wasn't the gang's intended "target", but an innocent bystander who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Like you, I'd previously no idea such a law even existed.

[Arthur Little]

Although Joint Enterprise can apply to ALL crimes, it has recently been implemented as a means of prosecuting homicide ... especially in cases involving gangs of youths.

According to some sources, however, this law has been "revived" as a excuse for removing troublesome [mainly] working class teenagers from the streets of 's towns and cities.


Former Lord Chief Justice, Lord Phillips told the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (BIJ) that the law - as it stood - was "capable of producing injustice and needed reform!"

Director of Public Prosecutions, Alison Saunders disagreed, stating:

"It is not always clear, because of the circumstances surrounding certain cases, exactly who did what. But if we know who actually participated in the crimes, then it helps us to be able to prosecute by putting those responsible before the courts.

But, if you're just standing there, we won't prosecute you!"

You ... what ... ?

Well, Ms Saunders ... the subject of Sunday's drama was a 17-yr-old who, given his age, hadn't long passed his Driving Test and so, when asked by his older pals to borrow his brother's car to take them for a pizza, he'd naturally jumped at the chance to show off his newly-acquired driving skills ... ... completely oblivious to his friends' ulterior motives and the tragic events that were to follow.

So yes ... this IS a law that badly needs to be re-examined, radically overhauled and preferably scrapped to prevent its real life misuse.

[Arthur Little]

Btw ... I'd have put appropriate links to back-up the above if I knew how to do so.

But I don't ... !

[London_Manila]

I agree with the law in principle but it has been abused

If 4 thugs chase a lad and stab him to death then yes all could be guilty of murder

If 30 thugs chase a lad and kill him then this law starts to look a bit ridiculous

The onus should be PROVING that all who were present knew a murder/crime was about to take place

[mickcant]

... 'Common' - a thought-provoking, one~off drama - on BBC1 at 9 o'clock last night?

Screened ahead of a proposed government debate on an archaic law known as "Joint Enterprise" ... a centuries'~old legal principle which, whenever a crime is committed, assigns collective "guilt" to a group ... even if only one of the group carries out the act itself!

I watched it too, very disturbing to think being in the wrong place can place someone responsible for the actions of others

The police SEEM to go for any conviction they can get

But if it was my child killed, how would I think then, is hard to imagine
Mick.