Blair’s vision of justice is a medieval one - inflict so much harsh retribution on people who you think have failed to abide by the law that all live in terror of the power of the state, and only the most desperate or depraved resort to crime - only to be met by a system of justice that allows little or nothing in the way of defence (hence his mention of “curbing… the procedures and rights used by defence lawyers”). The summary justice apparently approved of by Blair is little better than branding, trial by combat, or throwing suspected witches into a river.

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