We have had so many laws passed by our last 'government'
that we lost track. We probably break some of them everyday because we don't even know they exist. As for being a safe country, life is cheap here, people are mugged, cut up, shot, stabbed, robbed and driven insane by some sections of the community but always it's the same, little or no punishment follows. No punishment I have heard of in recent years appears to fit the severity of the crime. The government we had massaged the figures for crime to make us all feel safer but just talk to folk who live in some inner city areas to get the real truth behind living in violent Britain.
I know I would never walk a city street alone at night in the UK.... in some areas, not even in the daytime!
It appears the punishments are certainly in place for the average working man though, the culture of money grabbing by the authorities means they are free and easy at handing down fines for almost anything. Should you commit some violent act, no prison sentence neccessarily ensues as they are trying to keep the prison population down, you either get off with it or pay some large fine.
I'm afraid the justice system here is a little too skewed toward the offender rather than the offended.
I would like to think the new government we now have may begin to redress the balance but something tells me we may wait a long time for it.I think the EU bill of human rights may just get in the way.
It would be interesting to find out what really happens in the case of the bloke with the keyring knife.... bet he gets fined!