Can There Be 'Justice' Without Lawyers ?

[Neil]

I dunno.  Crime is out of control in Edmonton.  Last year was murder central, and this year it's like the movie 'Heat' or something, what with armed robberies and gun fights and the like going down.  I know who I blame...

[Barrister]

I dunno.  Crime is out of control in Edmonton.  Last year was murder central, and this year it's like the movie 'Heat' or something, what with armed robberies and gun fights and the like going down.  I know who I blame...

I'm only one man.

[katmai]

Sounds to me like +1 Curling broom needs to be broken out of retirement.

[jimmy olsen]

The planet Ajuris 5 solved their lawyer problem centuries ago and they seem to be doing well enough.

[katmai]

Again i ask that we send Timmay to NK

[MadImmortalMan]

But those safeguards do of course make it an incredibly expensive and inefficient system.

And thus make lawyers more necessary. 

[jimmy olsen]

Again i ask that we send Timmay to NK

Hey now, just because they nearly executed an innocent Green Lantern for genocide doesn't mean the system's flawed. The evidence against him was so iron clad even he thought he'd done it and plead guilty.

[11B4V]

Prompted by the article below about genocide 'trials' in Rwanda I thought I'd ask the question it prompt in my mind:

Can there be 'justice' without lawyers ?

Oh and what about considering the question, was there 'justice' before lawyers are arrived ?

Yes, at the point of a sword.

[Sheilbh]

The courts, I'll buy, but frankly I'm a bit stunned that a someone trained in an adversarial legal system would take that view of the role of lawyers.

Not necessarily.  Lawyers have a dual duty to their client and to the court.  I had to do a legal ethics course on it

I believe that what means varies.  On my course a lot of the writing was American but we were also told that the single-minded devotion to client interests is far stronger in the US than the UK.  I'm not sure why I think the structure of the bar probably has some impact, as for barristers does the cab rank rule.

[Tonitrus]

I dunno.  Crime is out of control in Edmonton.  Last year was murder central, and this year it's like the movie 'Heat' or something, what with armed robberies and gun fights and the like going down.  I know who I blame...

Americans?

[Martinus]

I don't think it's the lawyers who legislate to make laws complex. In fact, based on my personal experience, it's politicians without legal training who legislate the most ambiguous, inaccurate and silly laws, which leaves lawyers with a trouble of having to interpret what they really meant and making sure it does not have too many unforeseen consequences.

[CountDeMoney]

I don't think it's the lawyers who legislate to make laws complex. In fact, based on my personal experience, it's politicians without legal training who legislate the most ambiguous, inaccurate and silly laws, which leaves lawyers with a trouble of having to interpret what they really meant and making sure it does not have too many unforeseen consequences.

Before my brother-in-law moved to the Governor's office, he was in Legislative Services: it's kind of like a bullpen of lawyers the legislators drawn upon to assist them with the drafting of bills and language at the state level because they all don't have their own staffs, and they are the first and only real bulwark against shitty laws.  Some of these people come up with off-the-wall nuttiness that only the lawyers can stop.
It's a delicate position:  you have to tow the line between politely assisting the legislator with what he wants to accomplish and "Um, your bill proposing to physically beat people leaving advertisements on windshields in shopping center parking lots violates the Constitution and several Federal laws."   

[Sheilbh]

I don't think it's the lawyers who legislate to make laws complex. In fact, based on my personal experience, it's politicians without legal training who legislate the most ambiguous, inaccurate and silly laws, which leaves lawyers with a trouble of having to interpret what they really meant and making sure it does not have too many unforeseen consequences.

In the UK we've an office of lawyers employed by Parliament who do legislative drafting.  Glanville Williams calls it a noble calling

But this could be a difference between common law and civil law countries.  Especially with ones like England which don't do purposive interpretation.

[Martinus]

I don't think it's the lawyers who legislate to make laws complex. In fact, based on my personal experience, it's politicians without legal training who legislate the most ambiguous, inaccurate and silly laws, which leaves lawyers with a trouble of having to interpret what they really meant and making sure it does not have too many unforeseen consequences.

In the UK we've an office of lawyers employed by Parliament who do legislative drafting.  Glanville Williams calls it a noble calling

But this could be a difference between common law and civil law countries.  Especially with ones like England which don't do purposive interpretation.

This is obviously the same here but MPs have a tendency to introduce last minute changes and modifications that sometimes have far-reaching consequences.

[Viking]

The planet Ajuris 5 solved their lawyer problem centuries ago and they seem to be doing well enough.

Comic book authors need to be more inventive when they name planets.