04-09-2014, 07:59 AM
^ That coincides with the rationale of High Court Judge Mlambo back in February when he ruled that the trial could be televised.
"The justice system is still perceived as treating the rich and famous with kid gloves whilst being harsh on the poor and vulnerable," the judge said.
"Enabling a larger South African society to follow first-hand the criminal proceedings which involve a celebrity, so to speak, will go a long way into dispelling these negative and unfounded perceptions about the justice system, and will inform and educate society regarding the conduct of criminal proceedings."
I think that Nel and the state are sincerely pursuing a murder conviction against Pistorius. And, IMO, Roux and Pistorius are pulling out all the stops to paint Pistorius as a victim of South Africa's high crime, a botched investigation, and his disability.
There are no juries in South Africa and it is one of 140 countries which has abolished the death penalty -- it's been banned there since 1995 (though, from your post, it sounds like some citizens choose to impose it unlawfully themselves).
So, deciding whether Pistorius is guilty of murder, culpable homicide, or nothing but mistakenly thinking he was defending himself, is on the shoulders of Judge Masipa and her two appointed assessors (the assessors have the power to challenge Masipa's decision if they disagree).
"The justice system is still perceived as treating the rich and famous with kid gloves whilst being harsh on the poor and vulnerable," the judge said.
"Enabling a larger South African society to follow first-hand the criminal proceedings which involve a celebrity, so to speak, will go a long way into dispelling these negative and unfounded perceptions about the justice system, and will inform and educate society regarding the conduct of criminal proceedings."
I think that Nel and the state are sincerely pursuing a murder conviction against Pistorius. And, IMO, Roux and Pistorius are pulling out all the stops to paint Pistorius as a victim of South Africa's high crime, a botched investigation, and his disability.
There are no juries in South Africa and it is one of 140 countries which has abolished the death penalty -- it's been banned there since 1995 (though, from your post, it sounds like some citizens choose to impose it unlawfully themselves).
So, deciding whether Pistorius is guilty of murder, culpable homicide, or nothing but mistakenly thinking he was defending himself, is on the shoulders of Judge Masipa and her two appointed assessors (the assessors have the power to challenge Masipa's decision if they disagree).