- 14 Oct 2019 16:26
#15041944
Harry Dunn's parents have answered questions from the press in New York.
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Rancid wrote:I don't understand what the dangerous precedent is if this woman is brought back to the UK for investigation/prosecution for committing a crime.
Sivad wrote:
There is no dangerous precedent, diplomatic immunity has been waived many times before.
Drlee wrote:OK.
So this is a tragic accident.
Last year 1,792 people in the UK died in traffic accidents. 1.25 million worldwide if we are to believe the google search. In 2014 almost 17,000 hit and run accidents occurred in the UK. 5,000 in London last year.
So is the story here that this is some kind of unique occurrence in the UK? Worthy of New York Times video and print coverage? No. It is a fairly commonplace experience in the world.
So what makes this a story is that there was the wife of a diplomat who left the country claiming immunity. The posting of grieving parents and incensed people is just tacky. IF Her Majesty's government has a problem with the way this played out they can change the rules within the UK. They can petition the US Government to give access to this person for either prosecution or civil action. They may or may not get the answer they want.
As has been said, this is hardly a new situation. Either we have diplomatic immunity or we do not. Crying parents do not change the situation at all. They just sell stuff that advertisers want to sell. I, for one, have decided that taken as a whole, diplomatic immunity is a good thing. But we have to remember. It is the country whose diplomat is involved that invokes immunity. It is not an automatic nor irrevocable thing.
Final thought. Should the families of diplomats even be living overseas? I could make a good case for a no on that. It would be sad for the families to be separated but soldiers suffer this frequently. So the third option is to have diplomats and staff serve at US embassies without their families? That would solve problems like this. But at the end of the day it would just be a case of throwing the baby out with the bath water. This is a very rare occurrence. As tragic as it is, and it is tragic, it hardly merits the coverage it is getting.
skinster wrote:^ A hit and run that results in death is no big deal .
The only reason this is getting the play it is is because of the status of the person involved. And how she's managed to get away with murder (so far).
I doubt you'd be downplaying this if the victim was your wife.
Rancid wrote:Yea, I guess I don't understand why @BigSteve and @Drlee think it should not be waived.
BigSteve wrote:I was pretty clear as to why I don't think it should be.
Rancid wrote:It wasn't clear to me. Maybe I missed the reason.
BigSteve wrote:And, to be clear, I don't believe we should have it...
BigSteve wrote:Because I believe, if we're going to have it, it should be absolute.
Rancid wrote:Why?
BigSteve wrote:
Because if it's not absolute it offers no real protection...
Political Interest wrote:https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/10/05/us-diplomats-wife-claims-immunity-leaves-uk-afterfatal-road/
If she is any sort of person she will return to the UK and present herself to face justice.
This is an appalling misuse of diplomatic privileges.
The UK government should press Washington on this issue but of course they won't.
Rancid wrote:Even if the crime is unconnected to diplomatic roles?
late wrote:I would be vaguely curious to see what a lawyer had to say, that worked this part of international law.
BigSteve wrote:I would have to say that I'm quite comfortable in my belief that more than a few international law attorneys were involved in drafting the constructs of diplomatic immunity...
BigSteve wrote:
I would have to say that I'm quite comfortable in my belief that more than a few international law attorneys were involved in drafting the constructs of diplomatic immunity...
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