Status Photo / Video Life Event Whats on your mind? Myint Zan shared a link via Tim Denton. about an hour ago I am sharing my class mate from the Australian National University Tim Denton s post regarding the speech given by John Roberts, Chief Justice of the United States . I REJECT Roberts implication that they (the judges) make decisions free of the political process. Judges (in the United States) and elsewhere in so-called democratic societies are appointed and at least at times they gave their decisions as part of the political process. In the150th anniversary of the founding of the University of Michigan Law School in September 2009 which I attended Chief Justice Roberts claimed hypocritically that they the Supreme Court Justices make decisions free of the political process. I can only say rubbish since at least a significant minority of the decision of the United States Supreme Court are part of the political process. In an attempt to depoliticize the political I recall reading Justice Clarence Thomas stating that they (the US Supreme Court) did things so differently from the United States Congress that they might well be on another planet. If judges ALWAYS (as can be inferred) from Roberts statements make their decisions free of the political process and free of political ideologies why can I generally (yes, not always) , predict which Supreme Court judge will make what decision in controversial cases including BUSH V GORE? That judges make decisions totally free of the political process is a myth mainly created by conservative and at times reactionary judges which some times even liberals buy. Again, Chief Justice nominate John Roberts during his confirmation hearing deceived in fact (lets not beat about the bush) lied when he said (using American baseball analogy) he would as Chief Justice act only as an umpire calling strikes and balls (sorry if i have misquoted American baseball terms). Some umpire. Some balls. This is true not only in the United States but also in other countries with a partly British based legal system such as Malaysia. I correctly predicted that the Federal Court of Malaysia will NOT accept the leave for appeal submitted by a Malaysian newsletter (in the Malay language Catholic news letter) using the Arabic word Allah for God. The second highest court in Malaysia (the Court of Appeal) ruled that Allah cannot be used by non-Muslim publications. The Catholic newspaper sought leave for appeal to Malaysias highest court- the Federal Court. By a majority decision in which some what boldly a female Malay Muslim judge dissented, the Federal Court denied the application for leave for appeal. Why? Because I know that at least at times (they would deny all they want to high heaven or deep hell) judges decision are consciously (not sub-consciously) motivated by political and for that matter religious ideology in their decision making process contra Roberts deceptive and misleading statement that they made decisions free of the political process.
Posted on: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 04:31:44 +0000