EDITORIAL: Even God is against delayed justice
Paraphrased, the wisdom of Ecclesiastes 8:11 is that a delayed judgment is essentially the same as no judgment.
The ecclesiastical ramifications of that statement are evident in Namibia today, where trial-awaiting inmates languish in prison cells for years before they get their day in court.
But even in a country that President Nangolo Mbumba unconstitutionally labelled a ‘Christian nation’ recently, this long delay must not be juxtaposed with the long-pending return of Jesus, which currently marks 2024 years of an anxious, nail-biting wait.
While the expectation of Christ’s return has served as motivation for believers to live holy lives of pure conduct, inmates are already condemned to hell on earth. This, while presumed innocent until they are officially pronounced guilty.
True, some of these accused persons are the architects of the very issues delaying their own fate. That’s on them. But there are those who are desperate to go through the process and serve their sentences, but progress is stuck in the machinery of the justice system itself. This borders on an outright human rights violation, especially given the very cardinal constitutional principle of ‘innocent until proven guilty’.
We do not fancy the release into society of criminals who, on prima facie evidence, have committed serious offences. But even they are entitled to a speedy trial for their own sake, and that of the public. The ‘Christian nation’ must live up to its billing – as per the Solomonic wisdom in the book of Ecclesiastes.
The ecclesiastical ramifications of that statement are evident in Namibia today, where trial-awaiting inmates languish in prison cells for years before they get their day in court.
But even in a country that President Nangolo Mbumba unconstitutionally labelled a ‘Christian nation’ recently, this long delay must not be juxtaposed with the long-pending return of Jesus, which currently marks 2024 years of an anxious, nail-biting wait.
While the expectation of Christ’s return has served as motivation for believers to live holy lives of pure conduct, inmates are already condemned to hell on earth. This, while presumed innocent until they are officially pronounced guilty.
True, some of these accused persons are the architects of the very issues delaying their own fate. That’s on them. But there are those who are desperate to go through the process and serve their sentences, but progress is stuck in the machinery of the justice system itself. This borders on an outright human rights violation, especially given the very cardinal constitutional principle of ‘innocent until proven guilty’.
We do not fancy the release into society of criminals who, on prima facie evidence, have committed serious offences. But even they are entitled to a speedy trial for their own sake, and that of the public. The ‘Christian nation’ must live up to its billing – as per the Solomonic wisdom in the book of Ecclesiastes.
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article