You hear lots of times, “The judge threw it out because of a technicality”. This concerns me. The other thing that bothers me, that comes home to me at different times - you hear, the hearing will happen at such and such a time, and people go and wait and wait and wait and the case never comes up, at taxpayers’ expense, the money being wasted. This is not about justice directly, but there are monies which could be used to do something positive in the system - wasted.

Killing is killing.

I don’t think anyone has the right to kill anyone else… no matter what they have done. How do you choose whom to kill and whom not? And I would be concerned about the innocent people who would become the victim. Because history tells us that the rich and powerful get the system to work in their favour. I’m not certain, but I believe there is no record of any rich person receiving capital punishment in our country.

I would like to see a justice system which is uncorrupted by the influence of the power of the rich, where all colour and creed is treated equally. And justice delivered with kindness. I think that has to go together. You have to have justice, but not cruel justice.
I would like to see the victims given the opportunity and the permission to express themselves within the system, given the power to speak, as they become powerless through their experience.

Jan Francis
Nurse

Update: Jan remains active in her community. Now mainly retired, she enjoys travel with her husband to visit her family.