Thursday 5 July 2012

British Unconstitution Group

It seems that Roger Hayes is back behind bars, this time for non payment of council tax, thou the various "Freemen of the Land" would have it slight differently. See here.
I contacted the relevant Magistrates court and got this from the court manager.

"Dear Sir

Further to your request for information regarding Roger Hayes please note,

On 26th June 2012 a warrant was issued by Wirral Magistrates’ Court for the arrest of Roger Hayes for non-payment of Council Tax. Roger Hayes was arrested and on 2nd July 2012 appeared before District Judge Abelson at the Wirral Magistrates’ Court who heard an application (made on behalf of Wirral Council) for him to committed to prison for unpaid Council Tax. At the hearing, which was in public and to which the press had access, the Judge found that Roger Hayes had wilfully refused to pay the Council Tax and that he should be committed to prison for 21 days or until he paid the outstanding Council Tax.

Proceedings for the recovery of unpaid Council Tax are brought under the Local Government Finance Act 1992 and the Council Tax (Administration & Enforcement) Regulation 1992. An application for committal to prison for unpaid council tax can only be made to a Magistrates’ Court.

I am not able to provide any further information

Yours faithfully Operations Manager
Liverpool Knowsley and Wirral Magistrates' Courts"

Hayes had been ordered to pay the tax last year at Liverpool Crown Court and has refused on several occasions to turn up at court.
Now the FMOTL are quite good at claiming that all they want is the common law enforced, so what does that say about not turning up and ignoring court orders? "In English common law, an outlaw was a person who had defied the laws of the realm, by such acts as ignoring a summons to court, or fleeing instead of appearing to plead when charged with a crime."[ref].

Seems Roger is getting off pretty lightly by the standards common law would set. At least one FMOTL of the land has told me that the facts are that it was a secret court etc. etc. When asked how they know this no answer comes forth. While I may not be the greatest lawyer in the world, I do know that my mate say's is not a guarantee of the truth, it may be what they believe but that is a totally different matter.
The FMOTL seem to be a group of people ignorant of the law, history, the enlightenment etc. These are New Agers by a different title, lost in dreams of a golden age that never was.
"Mostly Harmless but potentially a good floor show".

To reassure people who are worried because they cannot pay "You can be sent to prison only if the magistrates believe that you 'won't pay' rather than 'can't pay' your debts". See http://www.bankruptcy-insolvency.co.uk/legal_issues_explained/imprisonment_and_debts.php.