BEIJING |
BEIJING (Reuters) - Gu Kailai, the wife of deposed Chinese leader Bo Xilai and a career lawyer, faces possible execution for murder at the hands of a swift, unblinking justice system that she once championed.
Gu, who practiced commercial law and wrote once a book about her experiences of both the Chinese and U.S. legal systems, will be at the centre of highly politicized trial this month in which rule of law is unlikely to attract more than token attention.
Legal experts and activists expect her to receive the kind of rapid guilty verdict handed down in almost all Chinese criminal trials - the kind Gu once compared favorably to U.S. legal practice where she felt the guilty risked going free on legal technicalities.
"As long as it is known that you, John Doe, killed someone, you will be arrested, tried and shot to death," Gu wrote of Chinese criminal justice in her 1998 book.
Chinese law, she explained, did "not mince words".
Now Gu finds herself on the other side of Chinese law in a case that experts say is unlikely even to become a rallying point for China's marginalized supporters of judicial reform.
"It simply cuts too close to core issues of internal (Communist) Party politics and the handover of power," said Carl Minzner, a Chinese law expert at New York's Fordham University School of Law, casting Gu's trial as part of a political campaign against her husband, once seen as a candidate to join China's next top leadership team to be unveiled late this year.
"These are the very last areas we should expect any willingness (from Beijing) to play by legal norms."
China has long had an official agenda of enforcing rule of law and its case against Gu has drawn global interest, not only because of the political overtones but because the victim, former Bo family friend Neil Heywood, is British and Frenchman Patrick Devillers is a potential witness.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague has demanded Beijing live up to its judicial rhetoric in the Gu case, calling in April for "a full investigation that observes due process, is free from political interference, exposes the truth behind this tragic case, and ensures that justice is done".
'AN OBVIOUS FARCE'
But experts say London is bound to be disappointed. They point out that the signs so far are that the trial against Gu and her alleged accomplice, family aide Zhang Xiaojun, will be a formality with only the severity of the sentence in any doubt - execution or a long jail term.
Gu will not have access to her family lawyer, Shen Zhigeng, who has revealed that other legal counsel have been assigned to her case. China's official Xinhua news agency has already said the evidence against Gu will be "irrefutable and substantial" when the case goes to court, likely next week.
"It makes the case a transparent sham," said Jerome Cohen, an expert on Chinese law at New York University. "If you forbid people to have the best lawyer they can and you assign lawyers who you control...it renders the whole thing an obvious farce."
Both Bo, the ousted Chongqing party chief, and Gu have been in detention since Beijing first announced the murder allegation against Gu and the unspecified "disciplinary violations" against Bo in April. At the time, Bo was stripped of all party positions. Neither he nor his wife has been able to publicly comment on the allegations.
Despite the track record of China's criminal justice system - its courts answer first to the party, almost never side with defendants and have never ruled in favor of dissidents - it has sometimes raised hopes for genuine reform.
Beijing appeared to offer some encouragement to reformers in the 1990s with a promise to "rule the country according to law". Late in the decade, it added the principle to the constitution, though it still recognized the party as supreme arbiter.
In 2003, it abolished "custody and repatriation" powers, a form of arbitrary detention once used by local governments to sweep homeless and other undesirables from the streets.
Emboldened, some legal activists began to test the government's rhetoric on rule of law, launching cases against the authorities on behalf of ordinary aggrieved citizens - but they quickly found that nothing much had actually changed.
RULE OF LAW RETHINK
Blind activist Chen Guangcheng, who made international headlines in April with his escape from house arrest and his flight to the United States, recalls his own 2006 trial for whipping up a crowd that disrupted traffic and damaging property - charges he says were trumped up to stop him advocating for the disabled, farmers and women forced to undergo abortions under China's one-child policy.
Chen too was deprived of his lawyer and was forcibly represented by two state-appointed counsel.
"In the courtroom, to all the unfounded accusations by the prosecution, the two lawyers would only respond, 'We have no objection'," Chen said by phone from New York where he is furthering his legal studies.
Minzner, of Fordham University, said any genuine party interest in the rule of law evaporated from around 2003 as the government realized that it posed a threat to one-party rule.
"A combination of political and practical concerns came together to lead central authorities to rethink it -- how far do we really want to go down this track?" he said.
For Chen Guangcheng, genuine rule of law would indeed challenge the party's grip on power, though he also believes long-term political stability cannot be assured without it.
"If there was truly the rule of law in the first place, power should be returned to the people. There would be no way for them to hold on to power," Chen said.
Farmers, evicted homeowners and affluent business people have used the courts to seek redress, but victories have been rare and often hollow. In July, a court threw out a fraud charge against disabled lawyer Ni Yulan who had helped defend people from forced evictions carried out in the name of development.
But Ni won only a two-month reduction in her near-three-year jail sentence for causing a disturbance.
In March, parliament gave new safeguards to criminal suspects and defendants but also solidified police powers to hold certain suspects in secret for up to six months. And harassment and detention of lawyers, whose legal advocacy is seen as a threat by the party, has been intensifying ahead of China's once-in-a-decade leadership handover later this year.
"On appearances, there has been progress, but there has been no real increase in judicial independence and legal representation," said Li Fangping, a lawyer who has defended dissidents and protesters. "Recently it has been crippled."
As ever in China, there is a pithy phrase to sum up Chinese justice. "You will have heard the saying 'the police cooks the food, the prosecutor serves it and the court eats it'," said Eva Pils, a law expert at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
(Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard and Lucy Hornby; Writing by Michael Martina; Editing by Mark Bendeich and Nick Macfie)
Source: www.reuters.com
Frankel set for Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood - BBC News
Unbeaten Frankel will seek a 12th straight win as he bids to defend his Sussex Stakes title at Glorious Goodwood on Wednesday.
The colt is rated about a 1-16 shot by bookmakers to see off his three rivals.
His trainer, Sir Henry Cecil, enjoyed an opening day festival double.
Cecil is having cancer treatment and is unable to attend this week, but Frankel's brother Noble Mission took the Gordon Stakes in a photo finish and Chachamaidee won the Lennox Stakes.
Frankel's previous wins
- 13 Aug 2010, Newmarket - bt Nathaniel by 1/2 length
- 10 Sep 2010, Doncaster - bt Rainbow Springs by 13 lengths
- 25 Sep 2010, Ascot, Royal Lodge Stakes - bt Klammer by 10 lengths
- 16 Oct 2010, Newmarket Dewhurst Stakes - bt Roderic O'Connor by 2¼ lengths
- 16 Apr 2011, Newbury, Greenham Stakes - bt Excelebration by 4 lengths
- 30 Apr 2011, Newmarket, 2000 Guineas - bt Dubawi Gold by 6 lengths
- 14 Jun 2011, Ascot, St James's Palace Stakes - bt Zoffany by ¾ length
- 27 Jul 2011, Goodwood, Sussex Stakes - bt Canford Cliffs by 5 lengths
- 15 Oct 2011, Ascot, Queen Elizabeth II Stakes - bt Excelebration by 4 lengths
- 19 May 2012 Newbury, Lockinge Stake s - bt Excelebration by 5 lengths
- 19 June 2012, Ascot, Queen Anne Stakes - bt Excelebration by 11 lengths
Frankel, the world's top-rated racehorse, beat Canford Cliffs by five lengths in last year's Sussex Stakes.
Opposition on Wednesday includes Godolphin's four-year-old Farhh, third in the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot and second in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown last time.
Stablemate and pacemaker Bullet Train, and Richard Fahey's Gabrial, who stepped up from handicap company to finish fifth in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, are the only other runners.
Mark Johnston, seven times leading trainer at the prestigious Goodwood meeting, claimed an impressive victory in the opening race of the week as new jockey Darren Egan picked up the pace two furlongs out to win by two-and-a-half lengths on Landaman.
Cecil then secured the Gordon Stakes for the second time - the first was way back in 1983 when Lester Pigott rode John French.
Encke, ridden by Mickael Barzalona, appeared to have the race won on the rails, but Tom Queally pressed Noble Mission and edged the photograph by a nose, with favourite Michelangelo third.
The Richard Hannon-Richard Hughes partnership was looking for a third win in five years in the Lennox Stakes over seven furlongs, but finished a length and a half adrift in second as Chachamaidee powered through the field.
Clerk of the Course Seamus Buckley was pleased with the first day of the festival and expects Wednesday to be just as successful.
Frankel wins 11th consecutive race at Royal Ascot
"The trainers and the jockeys are happy and say that the course rode extremely well," he said.
"We won't be doing anything out of the ordinary before racing tomorrow apart from getting the course all walked back and levelled. We're hopeful of another dry day tomorrow following a dry night so it looks like we'll still be racing on good ground tomorrow."
Ladies' Day on Thursday features the Goodwood Cup over two miles, won last year by Frankie Dettori on Opinion Poll, who was second to Dettori and Colour Vision in this year's Gold Cup at Royal Ascot.
There are currently 43 horses entered for the Goodwood Mile on Friday, with John Gosden-trained four-year-old Trade Commissioner highly regarded after completing successive wins over the distance in the Challenge Handicap at Sandown.
Hoof It, owned by golfer Lee Westwood and agent Chubby Chandler, has withdrawn from Saturday's Stewards' Cup.
James Fanshawe's Hallelujah, third in the Summer Stakes at York last time, has been at the head of the market for some time and is still in contention for a start.
Also on the final day is the Group One Nassau Stakes, won for the last three years by Cecil's Midday, who has since been retired.
Timepiece is Cecil's offering this year, while Gosden has strong contenders in Izzi Top and The Fugue.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Sussex Police ask 500 recruits to try again - The Argus.co.uk
Sussex Police ask 500 recruits to try again
10:30am Wednesday 1st August 2012 in News By Tim Ridgway
Hundreds of potential police recruits will have to reapply for jobs after a recruitment freeze is lifted.
About 500 successful candidates received letters from Sussex Police in the autumn of 2010 telling them their applications were on hold and they had been put on a waiting list after the force revealed it had to make £52 million of cuts in five years.
After putting their lives on hold for two years, bosses have now confirmed they will ditch the waiting list when recruitment reopens.
This means those who applied for jobs will be competing for a restricted number of positions on lower salaries and will have to have more qualifications when reapplying.
The announcement was revealed in a circular newsletter to officers and staff in the force which has been seen by The Argus.
In a question and answer section, one disgruntled officer highlighted the “enormous cost” already spent on recruiting the pool of 500 and challenged bosses’ claims the new recruitment process would lead to a more efficient service.
A spokesman for Sussex Police said it was unable to provide a cost of recruiting and any training adding this was “not significant” compared with the desire to get the best people for the job.
The anonymous police officer said: “Those candidates have already demonstrated that they have the potential to become police officers.
“It is likely that over the last couple of years they will have gained life experiences and maturity that can only benefit everyone.”
Adrian Rutherford, the force’s head of human resources, said: “We want the very best people to join.
“Policing has changed and when we reopen recruitment this will be a revamped process.
“We believe that after at least three years, the most effective way of doing this is to start the process afresh and we hope that those who have been interested in the past will still be enthusiastic about joining.
“It also open up the opportunity to many more people who have become eligible during that time.”
Mr Rutherford added about 30 of the 500 recruits would start work in Spring 2013. He added these were the furthest along the recruitment process and had achieved the highest marks on tests.
It comes amid claims that crime detection rates have suffered since the force began reducing the number of frontline police.
Meanwhile the force has said it needs to spend up to £140,500 in total on recruiting five spin doctors to maintain their “popular website”, teach officers how to use Twitter and sell the idea of cuts to workers.
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Source: www.theargus.co.uk
Sussex revises county aiport business rules - Delaware Wave
GEORGETOWN ---- Sussex County has revised its rules for businesses setting up shop at the county airport, setting minimum standards for the businesses it hopes there will be tenants and employers.
"This is not meant to stifle competition; in fact, to encourage it," said James A. Hickin, the manager of the Sussex County Airport. "This is to make a level playing field for everybody. It helps to prevent unfair competition."
The new rules set basic service standards for the companies that serve private pilots at the airport. They mandate, for example, that any company offering refueling keep at least one 10,000-gallon gas tank at the airport and stay open at least eight hours a day. Any air charter or air taxi service must have a waiting area and restroom for customers, and its instructors must be Federal Aviation Administration-certified.
In most cases, the standards call for just one employee certified in the work the business does, although the county encourages companies to exceed the standards if they can. The rules also compel businesses to obtain one or several $1 million insurance policies, depending on the work they do.
The rules, adopted by Sussex County Council on Tuesday, come amid ramped-up public spending on the airport to expand its longest runway from 5,000 to 5,500 feet, part of a plan by the county to rely on the airport as a main driver of economic development. An eventual extension to 6,000 feet would allow a major employer based at the airport, PATS Aircraft, to offer repair services to larger planes, up to a fully-fueled, 178-foot-long Boeing 757. Last year, the FAA agreed to pay nearly all of the cost of the first 500-foot extension, and groundbreaking on that project will start in mid-August.
On Monday, the Delaware Department of Transportation announced it was awarded a $148,000 federal grant to develop a business plan for the airport and write an economic impact study of aviation development statewide.
Source: www.delmarvanow.com
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