The 2 Roberts: Robert and Robert
Sunday, February 7, 2010 at 20:10
Posted by Marcel Strigberger
This was not Robert Fidler’s lucky week. Robert Fidler of Redhill, Surrey, England decided to build himself a castle, without obtaining a building permit. He built the castle together with ramparts and canons keeping it covered with bails of straw and tarpaulins to avoid detection. Somehow, he got caught and the other day Justice Forbes of the High Court in London told Fidler to demolish his castle.
I am shocked by the ruling. After all, I always thought that it was a cornerstone of British law that a man’s home is his castle. What right does a court have to interfere with this fundamental entitlement?
Then again, why did Fidler build his castle so clandestinely? Did he not expect to be found out sooner or later? What did he expect the mailman to think en route to Fidler’s mailbox while crossing the drawbridge? Actually I believe the snitch in this case was the hydro meter reader who slipped and fell into the moat.
I definitely feel the judge overreacted. His Honour could just have given Fidler a warning, admonishing him not to build any more castles. It would be something like the rule of scienter, where you get to build one free castle.
When asked if he would appeal the ruling, Fidler said no, but he did challenge the judge to a joust. And I’ll bet some of you think you have problem neighbours when they don’t do anything about their weeds.
Staying in England , February 5th is the birth date of Sir Robert Peel. He is the father of modern policing. In fact they named the British cops after him, calling them “Peelers” or “Bobbies”. Sir Robert Peel died an accidental death in 1850 when a colleague killed him while demonstrating the safe use of a taser.
I am shocked by the ruling. After all, I always thought that it was a cornerstone of British law that a man’s home is his castle. What right does a court have to interfere with this fundamental entitlement?
Then again, why did Fidler build his castle so clandestinely? Did he not expect to be found out sooner or later? What did he expect the mailman to think en route to Fidler’s mailbox while crossing the drawbridge? Actually I believe the snitch in this case was the hydro meter reader who slipped and fell into the moat.
I definitely feel the judge overreacted. His Honour could just have given Fidler a warning, admonishing him not to build any more castles. It would be something like the rule of scienter, where you get to build one free castle.
When asked if he would appeal the ruling, Fidler said no, but he did challenge the judge to a joust. And I’ll bet some of you think you have problem neighbours when they don’t do anything about their weeds.
Staying in England , February 5th is the birth date of Sir Robert Peel. He is the father of modern policing. In fact they named the British cops after him, calling them “Peelers” or “Bobbies”. Sir Robert Peel died an accidental death in 1850 when a colleague killed him while demonstrating the safe use of a taser.
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