I’m sure they do get it right most of the time in terms of guilty or not guilty Bear. You obviously see that on a daily basis.And they should. They are highly educated highly paid professionals. That’s not the problem and that’s not how the system should be judged. It’s what happens before or after a trial that is the problem.
The problem is the time and expense to reach these decisions if they actually get to trial stage, the ridiculously weak penalties handed out for serious crimes against persons as relative to crimes involving property , the pressure placed on people to plead, the overprotection of dangerous juvenile offenders and the pathetically weak bail laws for defenders with a history of violence that result in lives being lost , the boys club mentality ....the list is a mile long.
My brother has been on the frontline of this battle for 30 years as part of major crime squads and the frustration the cops feel with the weak kneed approach to violent crime in this country , particularly from the judiciary ,is palpable.They are just about to release that grub involved in the murder of one of his mates , a Gold Coast copper on duty , hardly a decade ago.
We are a wealthy country with a small population. The fact these issues never seem to go away is another reflection of the pathetically weak political class in this country and their nanny state approach to law and order issues which rewards violent offenders and hampers the efforts of those who are genuinely being treated unjustly.
Comparing it to other jurisdictions does not change the fact that the system is flawed and in a lot of areas flawed badly. Simply look at the amount of women murdered or severely injured by dangerous offenders with a history of violence on bail in domestic violence cases. It’s a national disgrace.