In discussing two recent bail decisions, Robin Tilbrook asks, rhetorically, whether racism is now worse than murder. The answer, of course, is that murder is worse, because the victim has no chance of recovery from the damage inflicted.But why the need for comparison between two evils? The subliminal message, whether intended or not, is that society should not take racism too seriously. Mr Tilbrook even offers mitigation for the racist defendant - she was ‘perhaps intoxicated’ (would he regard that as mitigation for murder?).

Racism causes great distress to its victims and diminishes the perpetrator. History shows that it can easily lead to murder and, if allowed to take root in a society, to genocide and all manner of other abuse.

Any lawyer knows it is dangerous to comment on cases without knowing the full facts. I have no idea whether the bail decisions in question were justified. I don’t know all the facts. But nor, by his own admission, does Mr Tilbrook - he relies on press reports. He then compounds his error by using the cases for electioneering (he says that he intends to stand for election as the Essex law and order commissioner on a platform of replacing ‘politically correct social engineering’ with ‘good old-fashioned English common sense’ in the criminal justice system).

It is to be hoped that lawyers, at least, will reject such naked populism and aspire to a system of justice which condemns any form of seriously abusive behaviour, based on a rigorous examination of the facts.

David Thomas, solicitor, Chobham, Surrey