DD DISCOUNTS SAYS MAGISTRATE?

Sir,

“The Lord has risen, I will die one day.”  With this reasoning a magistrate decided to give discounts to all drink-driving offenders this past Easter holidays and it is always during holidays when the most drink-driving is done, so this court official really makes a lot of sense doesn’t he, or not as I see it?  

What utter disgrace to give discounts or leniency to all whatever day it is, does this court official not wonder why figures for drink-driving are not improving?

Is it not obvious that the punishments doled out for drink-driving currently are doing nothing to discourage it let alone stop it?
This most serious of crimes finds yet another member of the legal fraternity flaunting his powers and offering Easter drink-driving offenders leniency with punishment which, as all can see, is having no positive effect in the long running problem of trying to quell drink driving.

This same ‘prophet of leniency’ vowed to break a ‘double offender’ in one weekend’s licence in half as he himself stated; “ I tend to take drastic measures.” – Wow, I wonder what these may be?
A sweeping statement about breaking offenders’ licences which would then leave them unable to drive for at least a year.

What does that mean, have their licences been revoked? Are they banned from driving? Or are they just flashy comments from someone whose ego has clouded the seriousness of this offence and is purely driving a supposed fear factor which is just not there at all? A drink-driving, twice in a weekend, offender received a total of 13 months in jail, suspended upon payment to the court of a E2 000 fine - no doubt the offender has really learnt his lesson from this severe punishment?

A drink-driver who knocked and seriously injured someone in Matsapha was given a total of 18 months in jail suspended upon payment to the court of a E2 800 fine. Has the legal fraternity forgotten that not long ago there was ‘NO’ acceptable level of alcohol in your body at all if you were driving, any booze measured in your system and you were guilty?

Unfortunately as long as these officiators see drink-driving as a means to market themselves, ‘lawmakers’ like those in the ‘Wild West’ who did drive a respect followed by fear policy then it will just be a matter of time before something really unfortunate happens and fault lies with someone thoroughly intoxicated behind the wheel of a vehicle.

How often, with regard to crime, is it said take care of the criminals properly to avoid repeat offences? I wonder how many repeat offenders have paid similar fines, whether it’s a first offence or not?  
This magistrate said; “I normally remove people like you on the country’s public roads by breaking their driver’s licences in half and placing them in the court files.”

So why then does it not say on the printed list of offenders that certain names have been banned from driving and their licences revoked instead of being handed easily manageable fines?
How about practicing what you preach and actually nailing some of these offenders properly instead of these holiday discounts and pointless comments about ‘breaking’ their licences in half?

How about some action in court which could be construed as action one would find in a ‘First World’ court of law!

sdDDdiscounts.com       

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