A new book by journalist Louise Milligan exposes the brutality of many witnesses’ encounters with the criminal trial process.. It is informed, too, by her own experience of cross-examination.
The fallout from the Huffman case has been intense, with much anger centered on the light punishment meted out to a white A-list celebrity versus the excessive charges levelled at Black defendants.
Jane E. Palmer, American University School of Public Affairs
Part of a law that goes into effect in New York state on Aug. 14 allows victims more time sue in civil court. Epstein’s victims can still go after his estate.
Björn Dressel, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University
Providing the first empirical analysis of the court’s performance in high-profile cases between 2004 and 2016, our research indicates that its independence from the government remains intact.
George Pell’s conviction has opened a rift in Australian society, with many people questioning the guilty verdict. Pell’s lawyer has said he will appeal. On what grounds could he do that?
William Blake, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Kavanaugh thinks judges ‘must be an umpire – a neutral and impartial arbiter.’ So does Chief Justice Roberts. But more liberal jurists believe that the application of the law is inherently subjective.
Not all false beliefs arise from malicious misinformation. Some legal precedents rest on the status of everyday ‘common knowledge’, since shown to be false, but embedded in our law nonetheless.
Racial bias likely played a role in the Gerald Stanley case. This article explains how racial dynamics and process failures enabled systemic racism to play a part in Stanley’s acquittal.
South African commercial law courses do not address the question of what norms and procedures govern business relations in indigenous African communities.