Charles Dickens had it about right - the law IS an ass!
I've just seen the news that Gary Mann, the soccer hooligan sentenced to two years inprisonment by the Portuguese authorities, was deported on the understanding that he'd serve his sentence here. Well,he's arrived back in Britain and on some technical reason or other he's walked away facing not a day in the clink.
Exactly what message will this send to those of our hooligans who are still in Portugal?