Kangaroo Court

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