[HPforGrownups] RE-I don't expect a complete bloodbath and a Question

[Maria Kirilenko]

No: HPFGUIDX 49313


Snuffles wrote:

Sirius points out that he didn't even have a trial before he was sent to 
Azkaban. I hardly think they would have wasted time with the Veritaserum. 
Basically the MoM wanted someone in Azkaban for the crimes. Sirius looked 
pretty darn guilty on that street.

 

Me:

I have always taken Sirius' words about his not getting a trial literally, but maybe we shouldn't do so. It could have been the kind of trial Harry saw in the Pensieve, with Crouch both acting as prosecutor and judge and yelling all the time. Besides, people at that time were so scared that it's ridiculous even to think of the jury being objective.

And on a related topic - it's been asked why truth potions aren't used as evidence in trials. For one thing, for all we know, they might be used, just not as conclusive evidence. As far as I know, polygraph test results cannot be used in such a way, as it's not entirely reliable. 

And we don't really know if all truth potions are reliable, and when they have been invented. One theory might be that not-so-strong (read - not very reliable) potions were invented a long time ago, but very reliable versions, like Veritaserum (sounds a bit like a brand name, btw), only recently.

Besides, I don't see this use of truth potions as morally acceptable. We don't know anything about the WW Constitution, but I assume it contains all the basic civil rights, which IMHO should prohibit the use of truth potions in trials. 

Maria



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