Prince Andrew’s settlement with Virginia Giuffre suggests justice is not equal for all

Letters to the editor: our readers share their views. Please send your letters to letters@independent.co.uk

Prince Andrew has agreed an out of court settlement with Virginia Giuffre (Getty Images)

Prince Andrew’s pay out is more than an arrangement between private parties. It shows first that the monied elite can divert the rule of law, which proves that justice is not equal for all. Secondly, nobody pays millions to silence a witness or accuser unless there is a reason. It also paves the way for unscrupulous people to become rich without any justification.

Justice and the law are the big losers and these dubious financial arrangements pose a major threat to our societies and undermine our democracies, already suffering from endemic corruption, a loss of ethics and too much money in the hands of a tiny minority.

Peter Fieldman

Madrid, Spain

Prince Andrew’s out of court settlement with Virginia Giuffre is to be commended for avoiding embarrassing disclosures that might otherwise have arisen, had the case been tried, spoiling for the Queen the platinum anniversary of her accession to the throne.

The monarchy – as opposed to electing politicians to do the job – should be considered good for the country; not least, in providing stability at times of crisis. Imagine life if we had not only Boris Johnson as prime minister but also a “Trump” as our head of state.

Roger Hinds

Surrey

So, a multimillion dollar payout to get Prince Andrew (born a prince; only to die a pauper?) out of trouble? But never again will he be free of disgrace because he ignored the old maxim: People judge you by the company you keep. Lay down with dogs, and you get up with fleas. Run with the hare and you will be hunted by hounds.

Howard Hutchins

Victoria, Australia

Putin’s great mistake?

Putin has regained the attention of the world by appearing to threaten Ukraine and may feel triumphal, but, long term, this has been the biggest mistake of his reign.

Regardless of whether his troops cross the border or not, sensible European nations will now covertly wean themselves off dependence on Russian gas. This will hasten the day that Russia loses a significant income stream, with inevitable economic consequences for its peoples.

The corollary will be beneficial for the world: energy generation will more quickly shift towards renewables and/or nuclear and CO2 emissions will decrease. In the long run, we may need to acknowledge Putin’s inadvertent role in mitigating the climate crisis.

Ian Reid

Kilnwick

What right has Putin got to stop Ukraine wanting to join Nato? And why are all the other western leaders not telling Russia this and coming down hard with sanctions right away to show that Russia is totally out of order?

Putin should be expected to run his own country in a peaceful way, not thinking he can blast his way through whenever he thinks he can demand further takeover of foreign lands.

Malvern Hutley

Colchester

The west is a collection of sovereign states, each with their own electorates to whom they are answerable and able to dismiss. President Putin does not have that difficulty to the same extent. Western leaders could do better but it should be noted that the cards are unevenly stacked when negotiating with dictators.

Frank Walters

Bristol

Well done, Mary Dejevsky. Her article (‘Twenty years of Putin and the west still fails to understand him’, 15 February) is the voice of reason among the clamorous hysteria of other commentators.

Sheila Lee

London W10

As is so often the case, Mary Dejevsky offers a clear, cautionary and contrary view to that peddled by US and UK politicians.

She is right – the capacity to comprehend Russian attitudes in the light of their past history, as our European neighbours are wont to do, is more likely to be effective than the bellicose responses of Biden and Johnson. The insistence by these two of the imminence of war does little to defuse the situation on Ukraine’s borders. Nevertheless, they know that it might be useful in bolstering their spurious image as “strong world leaders” in order to enhance their faltering reputations at home.

Graham Powell

Cirencester

Woke wars

Oliver Dowden trots out yet again the tired and meaningless Tory mantra about “woke” ideology. The real threat to the west is dishonest and corrupt populism playing to the lowest common denominators of prejudice and bigoted ignorance demonstrated by Boris Johnson and his alleged government.

John Lewis

Address supplied

Best served cold

No contestant is bigger than the sport, which will be better without those who willingly pose themselves as a risk to others. No tears here, Mr Djokovic.

Tim Baxter

Address supplied