Diary (June 9, 2020)

Online diary of Karl Jones for Tuesday June 9, 2020.

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Diary

Ultra Vires

In the UK there is a legal concept of “Ultra Vires”. If it’s non-, sub- or super-human, or, non-., sub- or supernatural, it’s not relevant in a court of law. I thought that was the case in the USA as well.

—Fred_Cairns

Interesting, thanks.

Ultra Vires — “beyond man” — crimes by angels, for example.

But presumably a lesser class of crimes than “Acts of God”.

God is of course Ultra Vires in a logical sense, but we are speaking here of law and theology, not logic.

• Comment @ Boing Boing

Can you guess whose flesh I wore

I recall a friend of mine who works in a law office sending me a bit of some old legal document he found where a guy tried to sue Satan, blaming the evil one for his failures in business and life. The court apparently allowed it to proceed, but the case didn’t get past day one because Satan failed to appear in court.

—generic_name

I did, in fact, appear in that courtroom on day one.

Can you guess whose flesh I wore?

Forever, Satan

• Comment @ Boing Boing

Chaucer

If I remember correctly the case was in a small jurisdiction, and happened in the mid-19th century, so I can see a small town court letting something like that through, either out of ignorance, or for entertainment value.
—generic_name

Ignorance, the original entertainment value.

I’m pretty sure Chaucer had something to say about this, but in my mad rush to acquire all possible knowledge I somehow overlooked Chaucer.

• Comment @ Boing Boing

Fiction cross-reference

• Gnomon algorithm
• Gnomon Chronicles

Nonfiction cross-reference

• Karl Jones (nonfiction)