Wednesday 27 October 2010

Justified

The court has given its judgment on our culpability in turning a Second World War shelter in the olive terraces near the ecohouse into a tractor shed rather than putting up a great big, metal, prefabricated building that would do the proverbial sore thumb.  (Not unnaturally the shelter was discreet and, from even a short distance, near invisible unless you actually looked for it.  That's what shelters are all about when you are for hiding from a retreating, defeated army, and a  German army at that.)

Mr HG is,  'Assolto perche il fatto non costituisce reato.' [Acquitted because the act is not an offence.] I'm unsure if it is possible to acquit someone of an act that is not wrong in the first place, but never mind.  At least we don't have to start on the bureaucratic nightmare of converting a prison sentence into a stiff fine - Mr HG in gaol would be so unkind - and he's quite capable of insisting on going rather than paying.

And to all those greenies who worry about the selling off of woodland by the government in England: private ownership does not equate with lack of means to prevent deturpation of lovely countryside, even if, on this occasion, we hadn't.

2 comments:

Nick Drew said...

well congratulations to all concerned !

hatfield girl said...

What a fuss, ND. First we did and then the town hall said we couldn't. Then they said, 'sorry, yes you can,' but by that time the court had decided on trial saying they weren't bound by what the Comune said anyway. Which put the Comune on its high horse about powers and jurisdictions.

Anyway, everybody has now agreed that yes we can. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if the German army turned up and said Ah ha! Got you.