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Sat 14 Feb, 2004 09:39 pm
Have you seen this movie? I'm watching it for the first time w/ my husband. We are at a horrible impasse. What are you thoughts on the basis for this movie? If you do not know, here it is:
A group of judges dispense their own personal justice after reviewing cases that have gone through the legal system and the defendant 'got off'. It's a vote of 9 Judges who do this obviously in secret and for the cases that are the 'worst' to sum it up. Justice from the Star Chamber equals death for the defendant.
What are your feelings on this? Is our legal system such that this should be acceptable, or even the norm? Is this really 'justice'??? Please, tell me what you think/feel about this.
I 5think that when the supposed guardians of the law - which is one of the single most crucial aspects of any society - do such things, then it is a terrible wrong and a terrible rent in the fabric of that society. Unforgiveable.
I have worked in areas where one LONGS to be able to dispense "post-natal abortions" as we would jokingly refer to it, to deal with our rage. Like - hideously violent men you KNEW would end up killing their partners, or their kids, or both (and they did).
Such thoughts are ok as brief fantasies - they have no place in reality.
So I think...
I don't know, I think the cases that 'get off' should make the legal system stronger - better, examples of what not to do next time.
There will always be mistakes made in criminal cases, it's run by humans. But vigilanty justice should never be an answer, nor should there ever be self appointed infalables.
The scenario paints a dangerously similar picture to the world though. A bunch of men act as judge and jury of the world now, they have created wars behind closed doors and hunt down the bad guys.
Hi onyxelle,
There can never be any justification for a small group of people taking the law into their own hands, what we need is to appoint people who have the wherewithal to change bad laws, something which in Britain seems to be an impossibility.
You weren't on this forum when I posted a story about a case in Britain where a piece of vermin raped a six year old girl and, unbelievably, a THIRTEEN MONTH old baby, he will serve just 4½ years in prison.
Do I think we should have star chamber?
From the intellectual viewpoint of course not, from the emotional viewpoint YES
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