In some Asian countries, the severity of a verdict an accused may expect in a court of law very much depends on which judge tries the case.
When a culprit has bad luck, he will have to appear before a “hanging judge”. This is a common designation for a judge who is likely to pass a death sentence whenever it is an option. And in some countries, it is an option for a wide range of crimes.
Judges sometimes compete with each other, with the winner being the one with the most scalps under his belt.
The luck of which judge tries one’s case used to be a major issue in the Philippines, but capital punishment has been abolished there. In Indonesia, the Tangerang District Court (Tangerang is a city in the Banten province, located just west of the capital, Jakarta) is known for passing death sentences when courts in other parts of the country would likely pass a lighter sentence.
And what happens if, in a retrial, the verdict of a previous trial is overturned? What if it is ruled a miscarriage of justice?
If physicians make mistakes, “malpractice” costs them huge sums in damages, even if they didn’t have any criminal intent. They may even be tried in a criminal court for negligence, or for issuing morphine medications to patients who are later considered to not have been genuine candidates for such drugs.
But judges? They may pass a death sentence after a sloppy trial, and nobody can hold them responsible.
The fact that a certain group of people is above the law in such a blatant manner, even though they are supposed to represent the law, is totally unacceptable for any civilized society.
It is time for countries to pass legislation that allows victims of kangaroo courts to file criminal charges against judges who convict people on insufficient grounds or pass inappropriately severe judgments.