When Justice Is Tempered With Mercy And Compassion

This story is shared by my friend, Bugs Tan. The original source is here:�http://buddhistbugs.blogspot.com/2012/10/when-justice-is-tempered-with-mercy.html�(reproduced below)

Can we hope for the same when an animal case comes up? Can we think creatively to turn things around when it concerns our much down-trodden and defenseless animal friends? �Let’s think out of the box, friends.

Read on and rejoice that kindness still exists and judges too can be “creative” in court!

It may not have anything to do with animals, but it concerns helping the “underdog” so to speak, the down-trodden, the defenseless. And why? Because they are worthy of receiving a little bit of kindness from us.

An Indonesian judge by the name of Marzuki was sitting in judgment of an old lady who pleaded guilty of stealing some tapioca from a plantation.

In her defense, she pleaded to the judge that she has done the deed because she was poor and her son was sick while her grandchild was hungry. The plantation manager insisted that she be punished as a deterrent to others.

The judge going through the documents then look up and said to the old lady, �I�m sorry but I cannot make any exception to the law and you must be punished.� The old lady was fined Rp. 1 million (USD 100) and if she could not pay the fine then she will be jailed for 2 and a half years as demanded by the law. She wept as she could not pay the fine.

The judge then took off his hat and put in Rp. 1 million into the hat and said �In the name of justice, I fined all who are in the court Rp. 50 thousand (USD 5.50) as dwellers of this city and letting a child to starve until her grandmother have to steal to feed her grandchild.

The� registrar will now collect the fines from all the accused.�

The court managed to collect Rp 3.5 million (USD 200) whereby once the fine was paid off, the rest was given to the old lady � .including the fine collected from the plantation manager!

Source: http://myanimalcare.org/2012/10/17/when-justice-is-tempered-with-mercy-and-compassion/

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AnimalCare is a registered society that promotes caregiving to street animals and helps in their neutering and medical needs. AnimalCare has a Medical Fund, Food Fund and Education Fund.

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