Oxford Bloggers

While Peter Black today highlights a story in the Western Mail by Jenny Willott I noticed closer to home an egregious abuse, potentially, of the DNA database system:

Police handcuffed a student and took his fingerprints and DNA after he tried to throw a bottle of water to tree protesters.

Jonathan Leighton, a student at St Anne's College, was arrested at 2am on Sunday in Bonn Square, Oxford, after he tried to give the water to tree protester Gabriel Chamberlain.

Now, I am against the "tree protestors" and their supporters, and I do hate littering enough to want it to be a criminal offence, albeit a minor one, but this seems heavy handed at best if the story is as it seems.  And potentially to have your DNA (a part of you) on a database for the rest of your life for trying to pass a bottle of water to someone as a gesture of kindness is outrageous. 

I would like DNA to be subject to Habeas Corpus, so long as that principle still obtains in English Law - which of course is already doubtful! 

Bryony is also a vice-president of OBSU, this time for academic affairs, which includes things like student representation on university overseeing committees.

Jason Manning is Vice-President of the Oxford Brookes Students Union.

This is a blog about Oxford Brookes written by an Oxford Brookes student.I'm a third year at Brookes, halfway through my course. I'm also a first generation blogger and I've seen the need for the sort of guide and commentary I'll be filling this journal with, aiming at twice weekly. "If you're a member of staff or a student and you would like me to write about a particular subject, please get in touch. Similarly, if you blog about Brookes, email me, Jaffa, at brookeswatch@googlemail.com This blog isn't affiliated in the commercial sense with Oxford Brookes, written unwaged, its an independent students guide to another independent student. I hope.

The Poet Laura-eate - from Laura King, a colleague of mine at Oxfordshire Community Land Trust.

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