wizard justice

[janna]

No: HPFGUIDX 74248

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "greatelderone" 
<greatelderone at y...> wrote: --- In 
HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "ara_bob2000" 
 <ara_bob2000 at y...> wrote:
> Surely wizarding courts would use either Veritaserum or truth 
 spells to conclusively assess a defendants guilt or innocence?

Same reason why we don't try to extract confessions through drugs or 
torture or solitary. They can be horribly unreliable especially if 
said victim is delusional.

> Furthermore I think there are things called the rights of the 
accused that prohibits forcibly extracting confessions from people 
and such things from people.
--------------------------------------------------------
me:  Excellent question!  I can buy into the argument about 
confessions/information being horribly unreliable under Veritaserum, 
if that is a concern.  I am not convinced that they care about 
reliability of information.  

However, in the case of the Ministry of Magic, I see no regard for 
victim's rights.  These are the same folks who tried Harry before 
the full council for violating an Underage Use of Magic law (while 
saving his and his cousin's lives), and attempted to slam dunk the 
trial in spite of both Harry's testimony and an eye-witness.  Heck, 
one of them even sent the Dementors and still voted to convict him.  
They are also the same group who sent Sirius to Azkaban for 12 years 
without a trial.  Nope, I can't imagine that they are really above 
using a little Veritaserum.  Actually, it would be helpful if they 
would.  Some of their own insanity would be curbed!

~ janna ~ who would like to move aboard the USS SAD DENIAL with her 
STUFFED BEAR!