Truth and Justice in the Wizard World

[jsmithqwert]

No: HPFGUIDX 67735

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Robert A. Rosenberg" 
<rarpsl at o...> wrote:
> Early on in OotP there is a scene where we are shown what purports 
to 
> be a typical Wizard Trial. Ignoring the fact that it seemed to be 
> portrayed as a cross between a Star Chamber Hearing and a Kangaroo 
> Court, the way the trial was held was odd given that it was 
supposed 
> to be a Wizard not a Muggle Court. I refer to the use of 
unsupported 
> testimony when there is a much simpler and reliable way of learning 
> the truth.
> 
> As was shown in H. Beam Piper's Little Fuzzy Series (with Testimony 
> given under Verifier) and Lois McMaster Bujold's Miles Vorkosigan 
> Series (interrogation under "Fast Penta") once you can compel 
someone 
> to tell the truth, the rules of the game/paradyme change.
> 
> Why is the Truth Potion either not used during the trial or at 
least 
> offered as a way of short-circuiting the proceedings so that the 
> defendant can testify as to the truth of their defence? Given the 
> prior use of the Potion (as well as its attempted use on Harry to 
get 
> him to tell where DD has gone) there would seem to be no way to 
> defeat or trick the Potion so as to produce as Truth events that 
did 
> not occur or negate the Potion so it was not effective. Admittedly 
> removing memories such as Snipe does prior to teaching Harry, would 
> prevent these memories being revealed under the Potion, but we are 
> now talking about giving false testimony as to events that are 
> claimed to have occurred [but did not], not preventing testimony on 
> events that actually occurred.
> 
> While I acknowledge that using the Potion at the trial would 
> short-circuit the plot (Harry's and DD's claims are now verified), 
> this omission is still interesting/odd.

I believe that it is generally agreed that Veritaserum does not 
promise the absolute truth, but rather the witnesses own personal 
truth.  Much like a polygraph (lie detector) it can be fooled by 
someone who believes their own accout to be true even if it is 
false.  Secondly, Dumbledore refers to the Wizengamot Charter of 
Rights, which probably explicitly states a power against self-
incrimination, etc. . .  Finnaly, magic in the WW does not always 
follow clear and evident rules.  Perhaps Veritaserum doesn't work on 
people with curly red hair.  Maybe on blue moons its effect is 
diminished.  With any doubt remaining, its use in a court situation 
would be unacceptable.

jsmithqwert