The Curious Case of Gary McKinnnon

This case really makes my piss boil.

First off, lets forget the semantics about how guilty he is. He confessed and the evidence he tapped into secure US servers seems to be overwhelming.

But the things that I really, really can't get my head round with this case are:

1. Trying a man who has Aspergers: who in their right mind in this day and age tries someone with a recognised mental defect? From personal experience with my son, its a possibility Gary McKinnon although admitting to hacking, may not understand the consequences of his actions. Where's the equity in prosecuting a man who has trouble understanding the whole abstract concept of justice, of actions and consequences?

2. Having a law in place that once in motion, denies all protections for a UK citizen at the whim of a foreign government. How the fuck have we come to the state in our American arse-licking that they can snap their fingers demanding the extradition of one of our citizens and our judiciary, legislators and executive have no authority to protect on of our own citizens and stop the process? How has this come to pass especially when the reciprocal American legislation has protections for its citizens? Its bad law enacted by incompetant UK law-makers. It makes you wonder how much more crap legislation there is among the 3000+ new laws enacted since 1997. A fair percentage I'll wager.

3. Enabling extradition when the person committing the crime was in the UK when he comitted them. We have enough laws to convict the guy already, so whats to stop us trying him here instead of the US? Other than the US snapping their fingers and shouting "fetch"?

4. It really, really makes you wonder how fucking spineless the bastards in government really are that they though that this law was good, just, equitable and fit for enactment. Those people in Parliament that voted it through should be thoroughly ashamed of their spineless, treasonous actions. For treason is what I believe defines enabling the law of another country to override the law of the United Kingdom.

Terry Waite, the Voice of Reason

Terry Waite has stepped up in support of Gary McKinnon, the hacker faced with extradition to the US for trial. I'm glad someone that has some gravitas has spoken out on his behalf. This really an injustice that shouldn't happen.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7946393.stm

Now I've been a supporter of this case all along. I don't see any benefit in extraditing Mr McKinnon to the US at all. If he's a UK citizen and he comitted the crime here in the UK, then he should be tried in the UK. We have an adequate court system here so extradition isn't necessary.

I have an 18-year-old son with autism. I have a rough idea how an autistic's brain works. Although autism works on many levels, the best way I can describe aspergers syndrome it is that the person is normal, apart from holes in their personality. My son is the same. He appears normal but is bloody frustrating when you come up against those personality holes. You are dealing with the same person, but on certain things my son acts 18, in others he hasn't developed past 6.

If Mr McKinnon is the same, he shouldn't be tried in any court. If he's anything like my son, I'm sure he wasn't aware how serious the offence would be. I know my son certainly wouldn't comprehend until the Police booted in the door and hauled him off to jail and even then would have difficulty.

Given the track record of this roll-over-and-beg government, I really think he'll be extradited, to the detriment of justice in this country.