They should be judged by world standards. We all get better when we pay attention to critical review of our actions.
World standards? You have POTUS questioning the decisions of judges as partisan because he doesn’t agree. Rendition by the CIA. Russians meddling in elections, invading Crimea and using nerve agents in the UK. Look at recent spying cases in the west, quick judgement and lengthy sentences.
You need to get ethics permission in the UK to carry out a study on primary school students for a research paper. Who in their right minds would carry out ‘security research’ in a country that has clear laws preventing it. You can’t even take photos of aircraft at the airport..
As much as I feel sympathy for his personal predicament, using words like naivety to describe the actions of an obviously intelligent 31 year old man who would be fully aware of the need to get permission for academic research having already carried out a masters degree seems ludicrous.
He was dumb, got caught out and is now trying to duck the consequences. But...he will be pardoned shortly and kicked out.