Heartbreaking story. My thoughts:
Originally Posted by
megan
Judge George Bathurst-Norman did seem to hold a degree of sympathy for Stewart.......his refusal to levy a mandatory jail sentence reflected to observers the sense that Bathurst-Norman felt the case should never have come to trial.
Being unfamiliar with British jurisprudence, I'm wondering how a judge can refuse to impose a
mandatory (my emphasis) sentence.
In my country there's been much debate over mandatory sentences. I do not know if a judge has ever succesfully refused to impose one in Canada.