It is fit and proper to raise the question sharply, what is this rigid colour-bar in the administration of justice? Why is it that in this courtroom I face a white magistrate, am confronted by a white prosecutor, and escorted into the dock by a white orderly? Can anyone honestly and seriously suggest that in this type of atmosphere the scales of justice are evenly balanced? Why is it that no African in the history of this country has ever had the honour of being tried by his own kith and kin, by his own flesh and blood? I will tell Your Worship why: the real purpose of this rigid colour-bar is to ensure that the justice dispensed by the courts should conform to the policy of the country, however much that policy might be in conflict with the norms of justice accepted in judiciaries throughout the civilised world.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Racial segregation in courtrooms ensured biased justice serving the ruling policy.
- In plain terms
- All white courts ensured the law favored the government's policy over justice.
- What can you take from it?
- Legal proceedings without representation guarantee biased outcomes.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Is your legal system truly impartial?
- What biases exist in your courts?
Another view
Assumes structural changes alone can fix deep-seated systemic bias.
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