Aug 052016
Statement from the Reverend Paul Nicholson following his lost case against Haringey’s CT court costs yesterday (4th August) :
I lost my council tax case against Haringey Council’s court costs today and await a another summons to court at which the Tottenham Magistrates can jail me.I am refusing to pay £2831.42 council tax because of the damage the tax is doing to the health of very badly off residents of Haringey some of whom have had their income stopped by a benefit sanction.
Meanwhile Haringey council continues to tax the benefit incomes of its poorest residents, adding court costs, sending in the bailiffs, ignoring mental and physical ill health, the short life span, the low birth-weight, food and fuel poverty,in some of the most deprived wards in the UK.
The Tottenham magistrates have rubber stamped over 60,000 council taxliability orders, 100s and 1000s at a time, adding court costs of £115 against Haringey resident over the past three years on council print outs totally ignorant of their vulnerable circumstances. That adds to the mental health risks of unmanageable debt in the deprived wards on the court’s doorstep.
The magistrates added a punitive £2,729.42p to the £115 court costs I was challenging at the request of the council making a total liability order cost of £2,844.42.
I will stop protesting when Haringey stops taxing benefit incomes.
He is now awaiting summons at which Tottenham Magistrates can jail him.
Disabled protesters from Bromley DPAC and Winvisible were there to support Rev Paul Nicholson at the court case yesterday. Photo Credit: Paula Peters.
DPAC applauds the stand the Reverend Paul Nicholson is taking and we invite our supporters to support him , by joining his group, Taxpayers Against Poverty, and by following and sending messages of support to them on twitter @taxpayers_a_p and facebook https://www.facebook.com/Taxpayers-Against-Poverty-299911526728884/
Regarding sentencing, a Community Service Order would certainly not be appropriate. Revd Paul Nicolson’s action stem from Community Service Orders issued by a much higher authority than Tottenham Magistrates Court. I say that even while Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group is populated by members of various religious faiths and none; Revd Paul’s actions stem from his religious faith.
Also regarding ‘higher authority’, I believe that England’s courts should be investigated by UN investigators who will be investigating human rights breaches by UK Government..
Further, it is clear that in their handling of Revd Paul Nicolson in court as a person with severely impaired hearing and no reasonable adjustments to accommodate his disability, they were in breach of disability equality legislation.
Magistrates are sworn to uphold the law of the land, none the less; how many more judges will now find that they cannot in all conscience do so?
Sadly, there will only be one winner and an inevitable outcome. Magistrates have no discretion and will follow their sentencing rules.
Good for you Rev it’s a about time they knew that we’re not putting up with it anymore.
when rev nicholson appears at court make sure its packed out SUPPORT HIM
Well, everyone knows that this Government must be the anti-Christ. Never in the history of the UK have poor people, old and disabled people been treated like this since the second world war. Reverend Nicholson is a real follower of Jesus Christ. Well done sir, a man with great humanity.
I know one person in the clergy, who merrily supports the Tories,and is full of empty rhetoric. Reverend Nicholson puts her to shame.
Well done, sir. This seems like exactly the kind of stand a follower of Jesus Christ would feel themselves called upon to take, and I am only surprised that more don’t.