A reminder of the nature of Treason

Just because we can post this whenever we feel like it, we thought we would.

Did you know that it is a common law offence to be aware of an act of treason and not to report and prosecute it?

So, let us remind ourselves what the act of treason - on the statute books - consists of.

We're taking this from the Government website for statute law:

3. Offences declared felonies by this Act to be punishable by transportation or imprisonment.
If any person whatsoever shall, within the United Kingdom or without, compass, imagine, invent, devise, or intend to deprive or depose our Most Gracious Lady the Queen, from the style, honour, or royal name of the imperial crown of the United Kingdom, or of any other of her Majesty’s dominions and countries, or to levy war against her Majesty, within any part of the United Kingdom, in order by force or constraint to compel her to change her measures or counsels, or in order to put any force or constraint upon or in order to intimidate or overawe both Houses or either House of Parliament, or to move or stir any foreigner or stranger with force to invade the United Kingdom or any other of her Majesty’s dominions or countries under the obeisance of her Majesty, and such compassings, imaginations, inventions, devices, or intentions, or any of them, shall express, utter, or declare, by publishing any printing or writing . . . . . . or by any overt act or deed, every person so offending shall be guilty of felony, and being convicted thereof shall be liable . . . . . . to be transported beyond the seas for the term or his or her natural life . . . . . .

As we say, it is a common law - real law (as opposed to statutory act) - offence to know about treason and keep it to yourself (i.e. not tell the authorities).

Here's how common law sees that in reality:

Where a person knowing of the design meets with the others and hears them discourse of their traitorous designs and says or acts nothing; this is high treason in that party, for it is more than a bare concealment, which is misprision. But if a person not knowing of their design before, come into their company and hear their discourses, and say nothing, and never meet with them again at their consultations, that conduct is only misprision of high treason.

and

For a man to hear of treason accidentally or occasionally and conceal it is but misprision, but if a man will be at consult where treason is hatched and will then conceal it he is guilty of treason therein.

P.S. Parliament in the United Kingdom still has the power to impeach any member of the Government. So together, any plodder coupled by an MP with a spine could null and void our membership of the European Union - and restore national sovereignty... ummmm... in time for afternoon tea.

None of the political class will do anything, because every single one of them has failed to report treason for a start. And secondly, nobody else will do anything because every single MP and cabinet minister since 1972 would be in the legal doggy doo... and who is going to authorise rounding them all up?

A £30K salary and all that goes with it is, to the individual, more important than the upholding of actual law - even though the failure to act upon treason is, itself, a common law offence.

So, of course, you can report treason and misprision all you like but nothing will happen. It's only Joe Public - you and I - that is ever punished... for every minor and increasingly minor transgressions. Because that's how statutes generate revenue.

Treason and misprision in public office? No, that couldn't be serious. Never. Oh no... [add sarcasm for emphasis]