AN ACCOUNTANT will appear in court today for refusing to pay
some of his taxes in case the cash is used for military purposes.
Quaker Roy Procter, 53, has been summonsed to Colchester Magistrates' Court for
non-payment of £150.
He said he felt unable to pay the money without an assurance that it would not
be used for military purposes. He would like the money to be used for resolving
conflicts peacefully.
Mr Procter, who works from his home in Oak Close, Thorpe-le-Soken, will be
representing himself at court and hopes to persuade magistrates that he should
be allowed to withhold the money under the Human Rights Act.
As a Quaker he believes that all war, or preparation for it, is wrong and that
under the Human Rights Act he should be allowed to practice his religion.
Father-of-one Mr Procter was taken to court in 1993 by the Inland Revenue for
the same reason but lost his case.
He said yesterday: "I expect the court will either let me have a hearing
under the Human Rights Act or the worst case is they will send the bailiffs
round to come and collect it.
"I would not try to obstruct them as they would just be doing their job,
they can come and take it.
"I have been taken to court for this before and that time the law wasn't
there to back it up although the judge understood my point of view.
"Now the Human Rights Act says I am entitled to practice my religion and
that over-rides any other law."
Mr Procter said the £150 was the balance the Inland Revenue calculated he owed
after he filled in a self-assessment tax form.
He sent a cheque made out to the UK Government Non-Military Conflict Resolution
Fund – which does not exist – but the Inland Revenue returned it.
"I was making the point that I am very willing to pay my taxes but I am
not willing if it is used for military purposes," he said.
"This issue would affect people of all religions and people who have no
religion. I know people who feel the same and they are some Anglican, some
Catholic, some Buddhist and one or two are no particular religion at all.
"I would like to pay my taxes in the knowledge they are being used for
peaceful means of resolving conflict – I would rather do something positive.
"Fighting only makes things worse. If nobody had armies then no-one would
need armies, I know we are a long way from that but every journey starts with
the first step.
"War isn't about solving conflict, it is about power."