Understanding Reasonable Force

by Mark Dawes

Mention the words "Reasonable Force" and you come up with a recipe that evokes heated debate among many. The case of the Norfolk farmer, Tony Martin for example, was seen by many as a travesty of justice, but the upside of the case was it was the first time that virtually every person in the UK started asking what "Reasonable Force" meant. There is lots of subjective advice dished out by well meaning individuals as to what they think "Reasonable Force" means, and many law-abiding citizens accept this advice, sometimes without question. However, much of the advice given is negative in its content. It tells us what we can't do - not necessarily what we can. This book is different. It is about what we can do. It is about redressing the balance. It is about what our rights are, especially the right, and indeed at times the duty, to use "Reasonable Force". This is a right granted to us by statute, enshrined by our common law and enforced by Human Rights legislation. This book explores that right fully. It is a liberating book that informs us of our rights and tells us what we can do as opposed to purely what we can't, which is consistent with the state of mind all human beings need to possess if they are to function responsively in a democratic society.

128 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2006