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A Wigan science teacher is planning a legal challenge after being arrested for cultivating cannabis.
Alan Taylor, who has taught at Westleigh High School for 10 years, aims to question the Government's administration of the Misuse of Drugs Act through the courts.

The 38-year-old, of East Leigh Avenue, Leigh, was arrested in August when four cannabis plants were discovered at his home.

He was suspended from school on the first day of the current school year, September 2, and charged with producing and possessing cannabis two weeks ago.

Mr Taylor, whose lessons have previously received an "excellent" rating from Ofsted, was due to appear before Wigan Magistrates Court yesterday (March 24).

But, after a submission was made to the court by his solicitor, Bob Toppin, proceedings were adjourned and the case will now be put before a district judge on May 15.

Mr Taylor, who does not dispute the facts of the case and has not entered a plea, plans to argue that the Misuse of Drugs Act is used by the Government in an illegal, irrational and unfair way.

He claims that the purpose of the Act is to protect society from all harmful drugs, with policies changing and evolving as new evidence about drugs and drug use become available.

But, he claims, alcohol and tobacco are excluded because they are socially accepted by the majority, whilst drugs such as cannabis are "demonised" and the people who use them "dehumanised".

Mr Taylor said: "The consequences of this are often devastating to the lives of individuals, their families and to society, fatally undermining the credibility of any drugs education messages and leaving the young vulnerable to ignorance, mythology and predatory criminals."

Working alongside the Drug Equality Alliance, Mr Taylor hopes to stay the criminal proceedings against him by taking his case to the High Court.

Darryl Bickler, who is acting as Mr Taylor's McKenzie friend in the case, argued: "There is no evidence to suggest that what Mr Taylor is doing, growing cannabis for his own private use at home, is any more harmful to society than a heavy drinker.

"We are challenging and abuse of power relevant by the executive and an abuse of process relevant to the courts.

"There is a bias towards alcohol and tobacco and against Mr Taylor."

Mr Taylor is also planning a separate claim against the police after officers disclosed the details of his arrest to Westleigh High School and the local education authority before he was charged.

He plans to argue that doing so was not relevant to his position as a teacher as there was no suggestion that he was supplying the drug or that his activities were anything other than private.
He says his professionalism and ability to do his job has never been called into question and, as such, his arrest does not constitute grounds for disciplinary proceedings.

A spokesman for the Local Education Authority said: "As soon as the headteacher John Banks was made aware of the incident in September last year he suspended Mr Taylor primarily as a neutral act and we await the outcome of the legal process."



http://www.wigantoday.net/wigannews/Wig ... 5105568.jp

This could get very interesting.

Good on him. I have noticed over the last few months though that more and more professionals are coming forward about their use or are being caught with Cannabis.

Maybe this will wake up the rest of the spoon fed population, that just like alcohol if taken in moderation by a sensible adult cannabis is not any worse...

the teachers I had who were smoking or at least tolerated it were the best on the school, they would never screw you just because you are what you are.....

I'd like to see a national strike for everybody that wants reform of these pointless laws.

Come on, let's go!



/I might need to get a job first though......

It'll be interesting if the NUT or the NASWUT strike over this. I doubt they will, its shame but teachers have to fullfill 30 QTS ( qualified teacher status ) standards. One of these standards is to provide a good example in both professional and everyday life. This is linked to providing a good example as a citizen, a new goverment thought is the increae of the citizenship whole school theme ( WTS ) and addition to the National Curriculum ( NC.) The WTS and the NC both speak of laws being respected as part of the citizenship WTS and additions to the NC, which teachers are susposed to exempliy, as set out in the QTS standards. The law is against cannabis, the teacher did not exemply this, so was against the NC WTS citizenship agenda and the QTS standards. Therefore can be sacked and possible have his Teaching career ruined, unfair but this is the way it is. In the eyes of the Teaching bodies, he was unproffesional as he did not fulfill the QTS standards which must be kept to ensure a proffesional status. He will probably get fucked over this, governments now want teachers to be teachers even in their outside the classroom life.

Its a shame, i hope it goes the other way, this is my biggest fear.

power to him....the govt. preaches non discrimination and yet they blatantly discriminate.....i've known teachers in uk who are alcoholics,drunk in school(pupils aswell ) ...the teacher is arrested for drink driving at lunch time and still kept his job.....grow a plant or 4 or smoke a spliff and the P.C. lynch mob are after them

It'll be interesting if the NUT or the NASWUT strike over this. I doubt they will, its shame but teachers have to fullfill 30 QTS ( qualified teacher status ) standards. One of these standards is to provide a good example in both professional and everyday life. This is linked to providing a good example as a citizen, a new goverment thought is the increae of the citizenship whole school theme ( WTS ) and addition to the National Curriculum ( NC.) The WTS and the NC both speak of laws being respected as part of the citizenship WTS and additions to the NC, which teachers are susposed to exempliy, as set out in the QTS standards. The law is against cannabis, the teacher did not exemply this, so was against the NC WTS citizenship agenda and the QTS standards. Therefore can be sacked and possible have his Teaching career ruined, unfair but this is the way it is. In the eyes of the Teaching bodies, he was unproffesional as he did not fulfill the QTS standards which must be kept to ensure a proffesional status. He will probably get fucked over this, governments now want teachers to be teachers even in their outside the classroom life.

Its a shame, i hope it goes the other way, this is my biggest fear

They really fuck-over teachers! (Then they wonder why fewer people choose a profession in teaching. )

What a city-trader does in their spare time is NOT policed, nor is that of other professions. It is fucking disgraceful the way teachers are hounded over this type of thing.

After the final school-bell rings, teachers should be free to do what the like (like the rest of us) and not be subject to silly constraints.

When I mentioned a national strike, I was inferring all professions, not just teachers.

I very much doubt that teachers would strike over this. Many might want to, but they do have a lot to lose.

I would like to see the whole nation grind to a halt as a result of all anti-prohibitionists striking. Only then will the average Joe realise how prevalent illegal drug-use, and it would force people to discuss the real purpose of the ridiculous laws.

This Will be intresting, but he is not the first and not the last. You do know all off goverments so called "medical research" is bull and the law is hanging by a thread. Which happens to be the Phycological impact of cannabis use, which the results where taken from patients.
What they dont tell us, is the that these patients have had a history or genetic implication of mental health or disability (before smoking cannabis).
When they challenged the law a while back the only reason they got public backing was due to a kid; which said he had history of cannabis use which caused his phycological condition.
What they failed to tell everyone was the fact he had been admitted over a break down due to LSD and he had a history of mental disorder from birth (he was released and did a thing in the daily mail). He was proberly so doped up, he didnt know what he was saying anyway!
Anyway you proberly think, "why is he bringing this up for, this aint got anything to do with this?", well it is.
Since blair was replaced by gordon brown, the head of health (not the head of NHS, which backed the law) has said that the information and research was unfounded.
This has caused a chain reaction of upperclass people being caught, which have been in possesion or growing the stuff. Its not because they are trying to make a point, it is the only way to get the courts and goverment to listen to your view.
You are arrested, you make a complaint like this, then you become a satisic; This is the only thing which goverment looks for at the end of the day. the higher the satistic of people getting in trouble over this, to make this point; The quicker goverment will get round to looking at it.
But goverment will only take notice of higher profile positions, like this one for example. But it will have to take alot of people, to make goverment realise that they are annoying alot of people.

One would think that goverment does not listen to is the genral public and sees all drug takers as criminals, when in actual fact; Most of them have commited the same offense sometime in there lifes.

If there was a UK wide strike from professional parties, this would cause the same effect but more quicker. Also the public would have more levrage to flip this law and kill it. But they could do the complete opposite, ie: make it a class A substance, which I doubt.
This is my opinion, I think this dude is doing the right thing and I think its good time goverment woke up and started listening to use (for the first time in.......over 500 years!)

The only thing is about strike is....we are in the middle of a recession, alot of people would be playing with there jobs. Personally if I where in a high class position, I would do the same! but I know alot of people wouldnt like to lose there jobs over somthing like this, but I think it would be worth it.

the real thing here is that if this man was going every weekend in Amsterdam and smoking any hardcore stuff then that wouldn't influence the whole of his life and businessactivity since then the free moving of the citizens thru EU is violated or no?

doobydave wrote:I'd like to see a national strike for everybody that wants reform of these pointless laws.

Come on, let's go!



/I might need to get a job first though......

i'd rather be a criminal than get evicted.

^ Ain't that the truth.

Maybe "chuck-a-sickie-if-you-want-to-see-drug-policy-reformed day". That way there would still be uncertainty about the reason for one's absence.

I would not attend any strike by the teachers union, its too risky, i have too much to loose. I worked in schools where the attitude would be seen as relaxed towards this issue, and mug plastered all over a sympathy strike, other schools would not take it so well. To keep my options open i must present an image which would be shocked at this lads out of school activities. However hyprocritical this seems, i have to do it, my job is important, i need it as do my loved ones. I could not risk it.

The leglisation over teachers these days is appaling, and striking over that rather than pay would be a better way for NUT to spend its money.