THE verdict of murder in the case of the Norfolk farmer, Tony Martin, raises serious questions about the status of the law on self defence.

The common law basis of self defence is the same in the United States and in England. However, in America, not only is it inconceivable that Tony Martin would have been charged with murder, but in some states his action would have merited a reward.

One reason for the difference is that in this country the courts have, over the years, increasingly strangled the definition of a "reasonable defence" to the extent that what most people would regard as reasonable has now become a crime. Alarmed by the increasing number of ordinary citizens being prosecuted for tackling burglars and muggers, I wrote in 1996 to the then Home Secretary, Michael Howard.

In reply I received a copy of a letter he had sent to the Crown Prosecution Service and all chief constables, in effect, saying that the victims of crime should not then be made the victims of the criminal justice system.

This direction has clearly not been sufficient to resolve the problem. The result is that more of us can be sure that in acting in defence of ourselves and others, may ourselves end up facing a charge of assault, or at worst, a life sentence. At the same time, a powerful deterrent to criminal activity has been removed.

It is clearly time for a change to the criminal justice system, by new statute if necessary, to return the clear and robust protection of the law to the private citizen who takes action to protect themselves, their dependants, or their property.

RASJID SKINNER, Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate, Pendle Constituency, Cross Street, Nelson.