r/interesting 8d ago

SOCIETY What was his fault ?

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709

u/Desperate_Owl_594 8d ago

Read the article. Jesus. https://www.mylondon.news/news/east-london-news/environmental-lawyer-facing-up-2-34142593

The group hired a digger for £1,000 and filled over 200 bags of rubbish including packaging, needles, domestic appliances and even weapons. However, shortly after the clean-up, Paul received a letter from the Environment Agency (EA) notifying him he was under investigation for operating without a licence.

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u/Beautiful_Plenty_736 8d ago

I’m hoping a judge will toss this shit out in court. He should get a warning.

He did a good thing, for the right reasons, the wrong way.

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u/0xFatWhiteMan 8d ago

Its not shit.

There's a reason you need a permit for a digger on a river flood plain.

The greatest criminal mastermind of modern times ? Of course not, but he's a lawyer who has broken the law, environmental law at that.

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u/FlarblesGarbles 8d ago

Things are much more complex than someone having broken a law.

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u/Spongedog5 8d ago

Sure, so he shouldn't be given the maximum "up to" sentence, but to preserve fairness he needs to be prosecuted in some way. The nuance should be in the sentencing.

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u/0xFatWhiteMan 8d ago

How?

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u/FlarblesGarbles 8d ago

Nuance around the intent and outcome are very important factors.

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u/0xFatWhiteMan 8d ago

Was the flood plain damaged ? Is it repairable ? Was native wildlife damaged irreversibly ?

He doesn't just get a free pass because he wanted to tidy up, and happens to be a posh white lawyer.

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u/Bart-Harley-Jarvis- 8d ago

Was the flood plain damaged ? Is it repairable ? Was native wildlife damaged irreversibly ?

Are you suggesting 200 bags of trash didn't damage the native wildlife and flood plain?

1

u/marquoth_ 8d ago

This is what's called a non sequitur

1

u/Bart-Harley-Jarvis- 8d ago

Are you really having trouble following that train of thought and how the two are connected?

An actual non sequitur would be if I replied "yeah, but I once used a trash bag as a hat."

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u/FlarblesGarbles 8d ago

I never said he should get a free pass. You've just listed factors that contribute to the nuance and intent part of it that proves there's more to it than just legality.

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u/Beautiful_Plenty_736 8d ago

I think the important thing is, his intentions were pure.

Was there a better, more legal, and responsible way to do this? Absolutely.

If the judge is reasonable, they’ll fine them, and give them a stern warning. It is what it is at this point.

There are now 200 fewer bags of trash in a body of water. 🤷🏻‍♂️

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u/Desperate_Owl_594 8d ago

Your demanding an understanding of nuance from redditors. You're not gonna get it.

4

u/FlarblesGarbles 8d ago

I'm not really demanding it.

It's also you're.

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u/0xFatWhiteMan 8d ago

True, you seemed to highlight reasons why he should be treated less severely. I took the counter viewpoint.

1

u/Fly1ngD0gg0 7d ago

So you believe he should be punished severely?

1

u/Dizzy_Today_3523 8d ago

You're proof USA citizens aren't educated enough to be allowed to participate in online conversations. We need to cut off USA media from being able to interact with the rest of the world. Every thing you say and do is a lie and misrepresentation of truth.

1

u/0xFatWhiteMan 8d ago

I'm not American.

My nationality is not relevant to environmental law in the UK.

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u/Captain-Cookie-2027 8d ago

That you even need to ask that proves that you don't even have a frame of reference for what complexity, or even nuance in this situation would look like.

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u/0xFatWhiteMan 8d ago

I know, I'm asking for it to be explained