A PRAYER FOR JUSTICE

O Lord our God, Thou hast said, ``Whoso diggeth a pit shall

fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return

upon him,'' and again, ``For with what judgment ye judge, ye

shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be

measured to you again.'' For Thou desirest not the damnation

of a sinner, but that he should turn from his wicked way and

be saved.

Wherefore, if any legislator, prosecutor, magistrate, judge,

or juror shall argue that the mere presence of contraband

among a person's belongings is sufficient evidence to convict

that person of a crime, may that legislator, prosecutor,

magistrate, judge, or juror be convicted on such evidence.

And if any legislator, prosecutor, or judge shall prevent the

jury in a criminal trial from learning that a particular

class of evidence offered by the prosecution is unreliable,

may that legislator, prosecutor, or judge be convicted on

evidence of that class.

And if any politician shall pander to the view that persons

accused or suspected of particular crimes should be deprived

of procedural or evidential fairness, may that politician be

accused or suspected of such a crime and deprived of

procedural or evidential fairness.

And if any juror, in a case in which the accused is

technically guilty of breaching a bad law, shall fail to hold

out for an acquittal, may that juror find himself in breach

of a bad law, and may he be judged as he judged.

And if any politician shall invent or exploit a new legal

category in order to deprive certain persons of customary

procedural rights, or shall permit a person to be detained or

restricted without commencement of formal proceedings in

order to avoid the activation of procedural rights, may that

politician's civil rights be violated to the same degree.

And if any attorney-general, through anything done or left

undone, shall obstruct the discovery or processing of

evidence that would free an innocent prisoner, may that

attorney-general be falsely imprisoned, and may the discovery

or processing of evidence that would free him be obstructed

according to the precedent set by him.

And if any politician shall fail to support legislation

whereby persons acquitted or otherwise cleared of criminal

charges shall be compensated for costs, expenses, and

inconveniences suffered in consequence of being charged, may

that politician be cleared of criminal charges and left

without compensation.

And if any politician shall fail to support compensation for

persons known to have been falsely convicted unless the State

be demonstrably at fault, may that politician be falsely

convicted, and may the State not be demonstrably at fault.

And if any person, having read this prayer, shall fail to

forward it, may he join the ranks of those who would have

benefited from its wider circulation.

And if any politician or prosecutor shall persecute anyone

for composing or propagating this prayer, may all the plagues

mentioned herein be upon that politician or prosecutor.

For Thou O Lord art not mocked: whatsoever a man soweth, that

shall he also reap.

And unto Thee be the glory for ever and ever.

Amen.