The Trial：A History from Socrates to O.J. Simpson

Inanextraordinaryhistoryofthecriminaltrial,SadakatKadrishowswithwit,legalinsightandatravelwriter'seyefordetail,howtheirrationalityofthepastlivesoninthelegalsystemsofthepresent.Aboldandbrilliantdebutfromaprize-winningnewwriter.'TheTrial'spansavastdistanceintime,openinginthedreadsilenceoftheEgyptianHalloftheDeadandendingwiththemelodramasandhubbubofthe21st-centurytrialcircus.Reconciliationandvengeance,secrecyandspectacle,superstitionandreasonallintertwinecontinually.ThebookcrossesfromthemarbledcourtroomsofAthensthroughtheordealpitsofAnglo-SaxonEngland,pastthetorturechambersoftheInquisitiontothejudicialtheatresof17th-centurySalem,andfrom1930sMoscowandpost-warNurembergtothevirtualcourtroomsofmodernHollywood.Kadrishowsthroughouthowthetrialhasalwaysbeenconcernedwithdoingmorethanguaranteeingfairnessandholdinghumanbeingstoaccountfortheirdeliberatecrimes.Herecountshowinsentientandirrationaldefendantsfromcaterpillarstocorpseswereoncesummonsedtocourt,beforebeingexiledfortheirfailuretoattendorsentencedtodieagain--andarguesthatthesameurgetopunishlivesonintoday'strialsofchildrenandthementallyill.ButalthoughJustice'sswordhasalwaysbeendouble-edged--asreadytodestroyacommunity'senemiesastodefenditsdreamsofdueprocess--thejudicialcontestalsooperatestoenshrinesomeofthewesternworld'smostcherishedvalues.TheshowtrialsofStalin'sSovietUnionwereshams,butGuantanamoBayandAbuGhraibareareminderthatalackofatrialisequallyunjust,andatatimewhenourconstitutionallandscapeseemstobemeltingaway,anappreciationofthecriminalcourtroom'shistoryismorenecessarythanever.AstheLabourgovernmentlaunchesanalmostannualattempttotruncatetrialbyjury,andasauthoritiesonbothsidesoftheAtlanticareindefinitelydetainingpeopleinthenameofanendlesswaronterror,'TheTrial'couldhardlybemoretimely.