Court refuses trial by combat The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 12/16/2002 | David Sapsted Posted on Sunday, December 15, 2002 7:13:38 PM by dighton A court has rejected a 60-year-old man’s attempt to invoke the ancient right to trial by combat, rather than pay a £25 fine for a minor motoring offence. Leon Humphreys remained adamant yesterday that his right to fight a champion nominated by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) was still valid under European human rights legislation. He said it would have been a “reasonable” way to settle the matter. Magistrates sitting at Bury St Edmunds on Friday had disagreed and instead of accepting his offer to take on a clerk from Swansea with “samurai swords, Ghurka knives or heavy hammers”, fined him £200 with £100 costs. Humphreys, an unemployed mechanic, was taken to court after refusing to pay the original £25 fixed penalty for failing to notify the DVLA that his Suzuki motorcycle was off the road. After entering a not guilty plea, he threw down his unconventional challenge. Humphreys, from Bury St Edmunds, said: “I was willing to fight a champion put up by the DVLA, but it would have been a fight to the death.” © Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2002.
Seems like the trial by combat is only beneficial to the one charged. See no reason for the other guys
I don't know. Local government workers seem to have lots of pent up rage. I bet they would straight murk some people in the name of civic pride.