Injustice of mass trials

Under no system of law designed to protect the rights of every individual accused has it proved possible to conduct a mass trial fairly. There are two significant points about mass trials which run counter to the principle of the fair administration of justice. First, they tend to shift the weight of repressive law from the political ring-leaders to the rank and file of any political resistance movement. Thus they may be used to deter people from joining political organizations with which the government may clash. Further, these trials, because of their inevitable length, constitute a great burden on the accused and their families. However independent the judiciary is, and however fairly the trials are conducted, there is no effective way of preventing or redressing the injury suffered by the prolonged nature of the trial. The award of costs against the prosecution is rarely experienced and there is often little if any form of legal aid for the accused.