"DSK" ?. FRANCE + GB HAVE SIMILAR RULES !!!

 From the point of view of DSK it is sad that he was arrested just ten minutes before take-off on an Air France flight bound for Paris.  Ten minutes later he would have been as free as a bird on wing !!!  

There is also another poignant fact.  As the Director of the IMF he did not have Diplomatic Immunity. This meant that like a normal citizen in the United States he had to observe the laws of the USA and could be arrested !!! 

Diplomatic immunity means that the person who is accredited, cannot be arrested, whatever the case against him may be !!!  This basic rule in general applies to all accredited persons who are in the diplomatic service of any country.

Had DSK got back to France he would have remained a free man. With advice he would have evaded all the problems he is at present facing.  Why ?    Because in France, and in another way in Britain, any accusations would have been considered as harassement of a public and well known figure !!!  

The immediate reaction would be to sweep any affair "under the carpet" to protect Public Figures and to prevent accusations in a court of law to embarrass them.  One could say this is an extension of Diplomatic Immunity.

Discussions on television this week have revealed that journalists have files on many such cases which they cannot make public for fear of reprisals !!!

In Britain, alas, there is a similar situation !!!  There is now only one place where one can say what one feels without being subject to legal proceedings. The place is the House of Commons (Parliament).

However, Judges have recently, with increasing frequency, acceeded to requests to order "gagging" orders. This means the press and the public is prevented from learning of delicate facts, often of a sexual nature, to protect the reputation of a well known person !!!  Speculation abounds in Britain that the people concerned are well known Footballers or Sportsmen, or even high level Directors who have had relations with female employees.

Judges are well known for their discretion but the Government should certainly impose limits to the discretion Judges can use !!!