A SOLICITOR once said to me that without his profession, the world would be one big graveyard. I always believed that it was anyway, either in spite of solicitors or possibly even because of some.

In a "civilised" country, for example, our Prime Minister would stand trial for acting as prosecutor, judge and executor at the same time -- "taking the law in one's own hands" -- and for trying to sway the jury's (people's) opinion by elaborating on the tragic details of a crime instead of producing any believable proof of the defendant's guilt.

Moreover, a bad example is being set for vandal-minded juveniles (and grown-ups!) by confirming that, in a "free democracy", you can get away with anything as long as nobody challenges you.

In Bolton, a 17-year-old girl is found murdered. All the police and a councillor can offer is the utterly incomprehensible excuse that their "system" was unable to protect the child, as she had "rights", in this case to take drugs, prostitute herself to pay for her evil addiction, and to get herself killed.

That is what "their system" does to our youths. The common denominator in all this is called lawlessness which has become the main scourge, especially in the so-called civilised world where it is being stubbornly confused with "freedom".

It has made countries like Great Britain and the USA world leaders in crime, and the people have long lost faith in a law that contains little natural justice.

Such law is "an ass" indeed, and the donkeys who sired it have a lot to answer for.

Mrs B Stuart,

Lord's Stile Lane,

Bromley Cross.