Governance, Social Issues
Context: A kangaroo court headed by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) union secretary for the Bargur South constituency in Thogarapalli panchayat, Tamil Nadu subjected a couple to fine for their love marriage.
About kangaroo court:
- Oxford Dictionary defines it as “an unofficial court held by a group of people in order to try someone regarded, especially without good evidence, as guilty of a crime or misdemeanour”.
- It is used to refer to proceedings or activities where a judgement is made in a manner that is unfair, biased, and lacks legitimacy.
- Why the word ‘kangaroo’ is used is also not clear, but there are several theories.
- Some dictionaries say the association with the animal could have a relation to Australians, though the term probably originated in America.
- The Collins Dictionary argues that it could be to evoke a sense that “justice progresses by leaps and bounds” in case of kangaroo court verdicts.
- Another theory relates to both the animal’s peculiar hopping movement, and the historical aspect.
Source: The Hindu
