Tavia wrote:

...

Helen wrote about the Federation administration:

...

They fear political crimes so much they would rather covertly slaughter large groups than try to brainwash them.

Why spend money brainwashing these people? It's only the leaders that need brainwashing and that's only so the Federation can use them as political pawns.

This from a society that appears to have no official

...

...

death penalty (I may be wrong).

The only reference we have to a death penalty in series 1 is in Breakdown, where Kayn, when talking about Gan's limiter, says, "A dangerous psychopath, certainly. Or would you prefer he'd been excecuted?" This certainly tells us that in Kayn's mind a limiter implant is an alternative to a death sentence, but it doesn't really tell us if the death penalty is officially active in the Federation. Unofficially of course, it's rife.

...

Two possible exceptions:

(1) Glynd, Morag and Havant discuss eliminating Blake rather than

deporting

...

him. The dialogue runs as below and one interpretation might suggest

trial

...

and execution for dissidence, though possibly a more likely one is

another

'transporter accident'.

...

HAVANT Can't he be eliminated?

This is a doctor speaking BTW. So much for the Hippocratic oath.

...

MORAG No, he's a symbol of opposition to the Administration. His death

could be used by the dissidents. They need a hero. Alive or dead, Blake could be it. .

Basically, they don't want a dead martyr. If she is talking about state execution then that's what they well get. If they are on about causing him to die in an "accident" that could be used against them as well. True, he would have been killed at the massacre, but then that was brought about by Dev Tarrant and he wants Blake dead because he can identify him. The fact that Tarrant also survived the massacre, but wasn't captured, would look deeply suspicious to Blake. Tarrant doesn't want him alive for personal reasons. He isn't politicial, he doesn't see in terms of prevarication. A pro keeps it simple. Kill Blake. End of problem. For him at anyrate!

...

HAVANT Difficult. I suppose my department could infect him, some rapidly terminal disease. Would his natural death help?

(Again, a doctor speaks.)

...

GLYND I don't think so.

(Too suspicious, see?)

...

MORAG What we need is something to discredit him.

And that's what they do. Look what happened to the "Glitter Gang" after Gary Glitter was convicted. Who would admit to being a fan of Glitter now?

...

(2) Travis is sentenced to execution in a Federation military court in Trial. Not only would I argue that this counts as the death penalty existing under Federation law,

It's a military court. As Par says, "Space Command look after their own." Military law is different to civilian law.

but the wording of the sentence suggests

...

that some non-military criminals were executed.

No it doesn't.

...

SAMOR We cannot find it in our hearts to absolve you in any way of the responsibility for these murders. The sentence of this tribunal

is,

...

therefore, that you should be stripped of all rank and privileges, that you be dishonourably dismissed the service, and that you then be executed for the common criminal you have shown yourself to be. Have you anything to say?

What Samor is saying is this, "You, Travis, no longer have the right to wear that uniform, you are a common criminal, not a Space Commander. You are going to be stripped of your rank and privileges, and then we are going to kill you." Although if you want to split hairs, it can be argued that once he has been dishonourably dismissed from the service he technically is no longer in Space Command, in reality he is still subject to its legal rules. "You are now a common criminal, and under Military Law we are going to kill you." It does not follow that the same would be the case under civil law. Anyway, how do you define a "common criminal"? A house breaker? A bank robber? A fraudster? A murderer? Someone who steals the milk off your door step? It's too imprecise.

Jenny

_________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.