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Friday, 24 November 2023 EDUCATIONAL 23
Presumed Guilty:
The Unsettling Reality of Pretrial Detention
IN a world where the scales of justice should tip in favor of Questioning this disconcerting procedure becomes an act
innocence until proven guilty, the stark reality for many is of courage, met with the oft-repeated defense, “I am only
quite the opposite. The notion of being “guilty until proven doing my job.” This shield, worn by those involved in the
innocent” is not merely a philosophical concern but a discon- legal process, deflects accountability and perpetuates a
certing truth embedded in the fabric of our legal system. system where due process is compromised for expediency.
Consider the harrowing experience of pretrial detention, a To challenge this status quo, we must scrutinize the impact
period where individuals find themselves confined for days of pretrial detention not only on the accused but on the very
on end, subjected to relentless interrogation. This phase, foundations of justice. The erosion of the presumption of
intended for gathering evidence, often transforms into an innocence demands our attention, urging us to question
ordeal where the accused receives a de facto sentence whether our current legal framework truly upholds the prin-
before setting foot in a courtroom. Whether one is culpable ciples it purports to defend.
or not seems secondary to the urgency of passing judgment.
In a world that thrives on immediacy and sensationalism,
The court of public opinion, amplified by the ever-pervasive safeguarding the rights of the accused becomes a collective
media, plays a pivotal role in shaping narratives. While the responsibility. As we navigate the complex intersection of
media’s duty lies in reporting events, the sensationalism media, justice, and public opinion, it is imperative to ensure
surrounding arrests tends to eclipse the pursuit of truth. that the pillars of our legal system stand firm, undeterred
Stories are molded to maximize likes and shares, trans- by the clamor for swift judgment. Only then can we hope to
forming news into entertainment and justice into a spec- build a society where justice prevails over expedience, and
tacle. the presumption of innocence is more than a fleeting ideal.
