Former Portuguese detective Gonçalo Amaral wins appeal in damages trial.

[carlymichelle]

I rather fancy that most of us wouldn't put ourselves in the position where anybody would feel the need to write a book about us, any more than we would feel the need to write a book defending our action in the first place.

jinx jassi i just  wrote the same  thing  the mcanns started  all this  with   GA   and he won       and the mcanns and their supporters dont like that fact  simple

[Alice Purjorick]

Why go to the bother of having a lower court?  If three judges can do the job ... surely far more efficient and less time consuming just to let them get on with it.

You could say that about any legal system. In ours most cases are sorted in the lower courts.
Can you imagine the costs associated with your idea?
https://www.cps.gov.uk/victims_witnesses/going_to_court/court_case.html

[carlymichelle]

You could say that about any legal system. In ours most cases are sorted in the lower courts.
Can you imagine the costs associated with your idea?
https://www.cps.gov.uk/victims_witnesses/going_to_court/court_case.html

alice       this has been a eye  opener with mcann supporters reactions imo their true colours have  came  out

[stephen25000]

alice       this has been a eye  opener with mcann supporters reactions imo their true colours have  came  out

It also highlights how close they are to the mccanns.

IMO of course.

[jassi]

It certainly seems the case that supporters only like the law when it works in their favour, or rather, that of the McCanns.

[carlymichelle]

It also highlights how close they are to the mccanns.

IMO of course.

such sorrow and devastation for people  they dont know isnt normal  imo

[Lace]

i wouuld never put myself in the position   lace  the mcanns started  all this

Never mind the reason what if Amaral was accusing you of hiding your childs body that your child was dead and not missing,  would you ignore the book.

[Alice Purjorick]

IMO only after studying the appeal court judges' ruling would it be appropriate to assemble legal arguments ... so may be interesting but not extraordinary.
Mr Amaral's legal team took a considerable amount of time to assemble their appeal arguments against the libel (hotly disputed that it was libel) case lost by him (now accepted as libel that he has won his appeal ... ).

Who are these judges anyway?  We know that one has had dealings with this case some years ago ...

Well yesterday the appeal was being touted by some as a done deal. It was self evident to some of us, indeed posted though it may have been whooshed, that some fancy and expensive legal tap dancing would be necessary to come up with grounds for appeal.
Who are the judges anyway? Again self evident; duly appointed officers of the Portuguese judiciary. I doubt even in Portugal they make a habit of dragging itinerants off the street to sit in judgement in the court of appeal. Though I have reason to believe some posters who consider themsleves in the know, believe just that.

[Lace]

It certainly seems the case that supporters only like the law when it works in their favour, or rather, that of the McCanns.

So you would ignore his book if it was directed at you?

[stephen25000]

There is a phone in on LBC discussing the case now.


http://www.lbc.co.uk/

[Lace]

I really can't believe the hypocrisy on this forum.

If someone says something about someone else they complain to the mods,  can you imagine if someone wrote a book about them saying they hid their child's body?    To say that anyone on here would just let the book go on sale and say nothing or maybe 'it's just what he thinks,  never mind'   is just rubbish.

[jassi]

So you would ignore his book if it was directed at you?

I'm quite sure nobody would ever wish to write a book about me - it would just so boring 

[Alice Purjorick]

It certainly seems the case that supporters only like the law when it works in their favour, or rather, that of the McCanns.

Were we surprised?

[Benice]

Be realistic. 

It is the hallmark of a fascist state that it suppresses the voice of the opposition whilst promoting the voice of the powers that be.  One thing Amaral definitely is not is one of the powers that be.  I doubt the McCanns are seen as the opposition. 

Your model is totally wrong.

How would you describe a state in which there has apparently never been a single case of a 'miscarriage of justice' - or where a court finds that a defenceless woman has been tortured whilst in police custody, but who remains in prison without even a hint of a re-trial  - (in fact actually has her sentence extended!)  - while the perpetrators go unpunished?    Does anyone actually believe that the PT police have never made mistake?  Surely not.

IMO in the scheme of things Portugal is still a very young democracy - and still has some way to go before it shakes off all its old habits.    It could start with reviewing the Secrecy Laws which imo have been regularly used and abused by elements of the PJ to influence public opinion  - but who then simultaneously use that same law to suppress any attempt by anyone to 'voice opposition' to that abuse by threatening them with imprisonment if they do so.   

[carlymichelle]

I'm quite sure nobody would ever wish to write a book about me - it would just so boring 

   the mcanns had a choice not  to  read his book just  like they had a choice not to  leave their children