The judicial system in the UK is adversarial, the libel Courts are especially so, the case for and against is put before the Judge and Jury and it is for a jury made up of our peers to decide. If anyone honestly believes that the truth and nothing but the truth is all that is spoken with in a British Court then they must be living in la la land. When Tommy Sheridan sued the News of the World for libeling him, Rupert Murdoch hired the best Lawyers and QC’s in the land, who in turn hired private detectives to make mince meat of Sheridan’s claims.
Murdoch had his day in court and failed to convince the Scottish jury, despite due to his great wealth having had every opportunity to knock Tommy Sheridan’s hat off. Such is life and the honorable thing for all to have done was move on. Dissatisfied with the result Murdoch as is his right, decided to appeal the juries decision, as is the way with his ilk, he believed he would get a more sympathetic hearing from the judicial elite.
It now seems some were far to impatient to await the outcome of the appeal, so the Scottish Constabulary were conscripted to do what Murdoch’s lawyers were unable to achieve when they had their day in court. Information released by the Lothian and Borders Police, to the veteran Scottish socialist Hugh Keer under the freedom of information act, shows that police force has spent over one million pounds investigating whether Mr Sheridan and others who gave evidence in the court case committed perjury.
Approximately forty-thousand police/support-staff hours have been spent so far investigating this case, police who had been working on other more serious crimes were drafted in to work on this inquiry. If you consider that in some areas of the UK, if your home is burgled you are unlikely to be visited by a police officer, one gets an idea of the priority the Chief Constable of the Lothian and Borders Police gave to this enquiry. It is difficult not so conclude that Tommy Sheridan and his wife and comrades have been singled out for special treatment by elements within the UK State, whether they be police, politicians or members of the judiciary.
That a number of people who testified for Mr Sheridan in the original court case against the News of the World have also been arrested, including Mrs Sheridan, makes me feel that this was done to bring pressure to bear so that these individuals reconsider whether to give evidence in the appeal. That this appeal has been put back to await the outcome of the Lothian and Borders Police enquiry confirms me in this suspicion.
For if those arrested are successfully prosecuted, which I do not believe will happen, Murdoch would almost certainly win his appeal with a nod from the top Beak and that cannot be right, for as one of the UK’s top Barristers, Ian Hamilton, QC said,
“Tommy Sheridan has been vindicated by a jury of his peers. A jury
heard the evidence and awarded him damages. It is no part of the duty
of our police to prove the jury wrong and a newspaper right.”
Finally I would just add this, whilst I recognize and applaud Tommy Sheridan’s contribution to the struggle for a more equitable society within Scotland, I feel he made a major political error when he encouraged his supporters to leave the Scottish Socialist Party, but when it comes to supporting Sheridan or Rupert Murdock (and a pliable Scottish criminal justice system) it is a no brainer. My support goes to Tommy all the way, I will argue through our political differences when these charges are dismissed.
Organized Rage 
So you believe the 11 perjured themselves to frame Tommy?
Cupid
Draw back your bow, as your little arrow missed my heart, did I say anyone perjured anyone, put your bagage to one side, reload your bow and try again.
😉
Would these be the same coppers Sheridan was willing to give the the names of Poll Tax resisters?
Archer, Aitken, Sheridan – even wealthy right-wingers can’t beat the Press in the courts. Nothing to do with the man’s politics.
There had to be a perjury investigation here,read Turnbulls comments.
Sadly for Tom,it seems the 11 socialists were telling the truth.
And some had made up their alibis,it seems.
As the poster above says.
Archer,Aitken.Sheridans time now.
The jury split 7 – 4 in the case, one retired hurt. In an English case he would not have won as a result.
I think the perjury case was inevitable and have posted as much recently on my livejournal (where we exchanged some views earlier in the year). It stems from the peculiar facts of the case and the instuction from the trial judge to the crown Office.
Mick
one thing you need to realise about sheridan and ppl like galloway is they say all the things you like in public, but behind the scenes they’ve got their noses in the trough.
An inconvenient truth for you perhaps!
Perci
If the law was about doing justice to people who have their snouts in the trough, [or corrupting people] Murdoch would have been driven from these shores long ago.
Perci
I meant to add the people you mention are politicians so there is little you could say that would surprise, you may or may not be right about the two individuals you mention, but there are far more worthy politicos who deserve our hatred and contempt, people Murdoch has been bankrolling for decades for example.
Tommy and George for all there faults as far as I’m aware have never shit on me nor mine, and in todays world for a working class man that is the best one can hope for from that profession.
Never shit on you or yours, Mick – depends on who counts as yours. I’d count the SSP parliamentary staff who were short-changed in their wages after Sheridan helped himself to funds earmarked for staff pay, in order to fund his own party-ette. This done with the help of the chief officer of parliament, though illegal, as the Solidarity (sic) Party had never garnered a single vote in an election.
The verdict of a jury of your peers is of no value if evidence is tainted by perjury.
It was clear that somebody was lying in the Court Of Sessions in 2006 – hence the warning from Turnbull about perjury charges, and hence the situation now.
It was not a major political error to encourage his supporters to leave the SSP – at some point it became clear to him he had no majority support in the SSP, so he did the logical thing and formed a breakaway.