Tough Sentencing

The thing that concerns me is the recent trend for quite tough sentencing for relatively minor breaches of the computer misuse act. When your dealing with an act that's so widely worded, that almost any action on a computer could be interpreted as a criminal act, it seem a bit harsh to be handing down custodial sentences.

I've spent a fair amount of time in court rooms, and the average Saturday night thug that gets drunk and puts some poor soul in hospital for a while gets a much better deal from the magistrates than someone who's committed a "white collar" crime.

I very much have the impression that sentencing guidlines have been sent around with the intent to make high profile examples of people.