Chameleon Magazine

One country. Two legal systems. A tale of two very different approaches to the radical concept of common sense.

In England, a disabled mum named Claire—struggling to raise kids and survive the economic chaos of 2024—was prosecuted for not paying her TV licence. The result? A £736 fine, panic attacks, and a criminal conviction. Her crime? Owning a telly while poor. And as a consolation prize for being dragged through the courts, she got a generic apology. Not cash. Not dignity. Just a damp corporate “soz.”

Meanwhile, in Scotland?

No courtroom drama. No £700 bill. No emotional breakdown over Antiques Roadshow. Why? Because in Scotland, you can’t just launch prosecutions like confetti at a banker’s wedding. Every criminal case—yes, even the terrifying horror of unpaid TV licences—goes through the Procurator Fiscal, a public prosecutor who checks if the case is actually worth pursuing. It’s called discretion. Or as we like to call it: basic human decency.

🧠 Scotland Uses Logic, England Uses a Rubber Stamp

Let’s be real: the Scottish system isn’t perfect. But at least it acknowledges the difference between criminality and poverty.

Claire’s case wouldn’t have made it to a Scottish courtroom, because someone, somewhere, would’ve said, “Maybe let’s not destroy a woman’s life for missing a bill.”

England’s response? “Guilty. Pay up. And here’s a letter that might as well say: ‘Sorry you feel that way.’”

It’s the bureaucratic equivalent of offering a soggy tissue after setting someone’s house on fire.

And speaking of limp apologies…

🧻 Sorry Doesn’t Cut It—Just Ask Trump

When Donald Trump was told “sorry” after being hit with one of many institutional embarrassments, did he calmly nod and move on? No—he launched lawsuits, rants, rallies, and rewrote the dictionary entry for grievance. But when Claire—a disabled mother—is prosecuted for not coughing up £159, she’s expected to smile politely at a form letter and move on with her criminal record?

Where’s her outrage campaign? Her press conference? Her army of defenders claiming “witch hunt”? Oh wait—wrong class. Wrong country. Wrong justice.

🔥 Challenges 🔥

If Scotland can apply a little common sense, why is the rest of the UK acting like Judge Judy on autopilot?

And how many more mothers, pensioners, and vulnerable people have to be humiliated before someone says: “This isn’t justice—it’s just cruelty on a budget.”

👇 Sound off in the comments. Share this if you’ve ever been targeted for being poor, not criminal.

The sharpest takes will be featured in our next issue. Let’s make noise louder than a TV with no licence. 📡💥