Justice for a few

A punishment for the poor

We’ve heard it in the movies a thousand times – “You have the right to an attorney.” But in most states there is little guarantee in most states that poor defendants will receive a competent one.

Our nation’s death penalty is littered with shocking examples of lawyers who were drunk, asleep, or completely inexperienced. Most people cannot afford a “dream team” of expensive lawyers. When court-appointed lawyers lack the experience or resources to do an effective job in a capital case, their mistakes can cost a life.

Fair trial and its essentials in the age of terrorism

By Barrister Amjad Malik

This paper was read at the SCBA conference recently.

Two thousand years ago, Marcus Tullius Cicero, Roman philosopher, orator, lawyer, and politician, once stated that

"The soul, mind, and meaning of a State lie in its Laws".

That is, laws are a reflection of the state's mindset and commitment to fight issues like terrorism and target killings.

9/11 changed the world and internal security and anti-terrorism laws all over the world were no exception to this change. The most visible change was observed at the global lawmakers’ reaction against the emerging threats of terrorism and how they devised new ways and mechanisms to deter these threats. Law Enforcement Agencies (LEA’s) all around the globe got special powers to cope with the emerging internal security challenges.