6/05/2006

the price of justice

Thomas Koshy wrote an article on how expensive our legal system is when one has to pay through his nose to the lawyers for his innocence. The legal fee is now so high that one actually has to pay or be held at ransom when dragged to court, rightly or wrongly. Many of the innocent poor, or those who cannot afford the high legal fee, could take the easy way out, plead guilty and suffer a lesser consequence then be cleared of the charges and be bankrupted in the process. Is this what justice meant to the average person in this first world country? Anyone with the money to spare can drag another person to court and break him if the victim has no money to find a good lawyer, or to break his bank even if he has some money to do so. And with enough financial muscles, the legal case can drag on and on with appeals after appeals, and the poor bugger will become poorer and poorer by each court sitting. Then there is the possibility of being prosecuted by the law. Now this one is even worst. No chances of claiming for damages against the state prosecutor. Only hope is to be found innocent, after emptying one's pocket. Against a private law suit, the accused can still sought compensation and damages from the plaintiff if he won the case. But when the charges are made by the state, there is no such thing as compensation for the cost or for the wrongful charges, or the agony and harrowing experience of being charged, or even put under detention. Poor chaps would have to live by this expensive justice system and choose between being broke financially or being broken by it. With money, one can do a lot of wonders, to right a wrong or to buy a wrong.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is what happen when you allow a lawyer to dominate in parliament and he clearly amended laws to his advantage. This also demonstrate the importance of checking on the government and making it accountable to the people.

Anonymous said...

most of our laws are lifted directly from 19th century british india common law. we paid them million dollar salary and they can't even be bother to update those anarchic laws and they had 40 years to do it! all bloody wayang in parliament. 1st class government my ass!! 1st class judiciary?...more like 19th century.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

there's a saying, the florist will always say her flowers smell good.

in many areas we are world class. but in some areas we are low class.

Anonymous said...

Louya leaders and ill-fated followers come in pairs...

Be rich poor or justice injustice...

Problemo.

Faith with this leadership ain't very good.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

hi elfred,

i can understand your sentiment. you need to be on the right side to benefit from the system.