Friday, July 12, 2013
Hoist With Their Own Petard?
There are stories in the Press saying that two of the major outsourcing contractors to the MoJ might have been a little imaginative with their billing practices, for example invoicing for tagging a dead person. I have no comment on that, as the investigation must take its course, and both sides have heavyweight legal resource available, but here's a thought:-
If those responsible face a court, and if they are convicted, prison sentences are likely. Wouldn't it be ironic if the executives concerned were carted off to a prison run by their own company, in a van staffed by their own employees?
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No, it would be ironic if they were instead tagged, by their own company, and therefore got to bill for their own punishment.
ReplyDeleteWhat a delicious idea ... will they make it into one of the "Undercover Boss" TV programmes?
ReplyDeleteWould it be appropriate or otherwise if they were treated like royalty whilst inside by their own employees?
ReplyDeleteOf course if one of the bosses went inside, no doubt he or she has a clause in their (service) contract for that, with extra shares, bonuses etc etc. Of course ig found gulity. they will pin the blame on a flunkie who will keelhauled and hung out to dry for following orders....or am I just a bit too cynical?
ReplyDeleteAnd any case will be assembled by privatised police investigators, and brought to a privatised courthouse, run by private companies (staff thrown in), where cases are prosecuted on contract by unqualified paralegals, and what few defence solicitors are left will work for Stobbart & Co on piece rates. The thin greying line of the magistracy will be the only remaining vestige of independence (justices' clerks having now definitively and cravenly surrendered their own for a mess of potage). And all the above could well be in the hands of the same provider (right down to the expenses claims of the dwindling band of lay magistrates...). Scary stuff!
ReplyDeleteKate Caveat
Anyone who does contract work for the government knows it's a cash cow. A contractor I know was called in by the local hospital to fix a tile where one edge had come away and was a trip hazard. All he did was tape it down and for this five-minute job he charged £500.
ReplyDeleteSuccessive governments have been totally bureaucratic and do not monitor the contractors - especially when it comes to checking their work. This situation has escalated over the years until it is now out of control. This is just the proverbial tip of the iceberg.
In reality they would have lost the contract long before any of their execs got as far as a court house. Nice idea though!
ReplyDeleteG4S and Serco may well have not observed their contracts properly but my guess is that the real blame lies with the sheer incompetence of the MoJ officials. Follow through all the Select Committee evidence taken from the day when the old LCD ceased to be a "gentleman's club" via the overly ambitious days of the DCA to the mammoth MoJ and match that with the various NAO reports over the years and you'll see that successive Ministers (Labour and Coalition) have run a chaotic department.
ReplyDeleteI am very surprised that you have not passed comment on the change of Chief Justice from a real Judge to a real dick.
ReplyDeleteBBC News.
Those not familiar with the allusion should read Lady Chatterley's Lover....
Play with fire your bound to get burned
ReplyDeleteWhat is the legal position if, as a company director, the guilty man orders his employee to halt, release the handcuffs and drop him off? Is the employee bound to obey? Has the director committed a crime?
ReplyDelete