David Norris (Independent)

It was reported on the radio yesterday that a judge, in sentencing a man for downloading images, said he would be particularly harsh because he had strong feelings in this area. While I am not addressing the issue on which the sentence was handed down, it is a matter of concern if somebody is sentenced on the basis of a judge's feelings. They should implement the law of the land. I remember a previous case when a judge said he was implementing the law of God. This judge may have been misreported. However, the law of the land should be implemented, not the feelings of a judge or the law of God. We should have a debate on the application of the law and the Judiciary in general.