Judicial Farewell
(A Poem for Vignes Mourthi)
(Ed. note: Vignes Mourthi was executed in Singapore’s Changi Prison on Sept. 26, 2003)
Sir, is it the law of this land
That an innocent man should die
Due to procedural defects of our law
Asked the lawyer
A young man of 22
To die next day
Listened
Now I tell you,
You better listen,
Replied the judge.
Yes, it is the law of this land
For an innocent man to die
Due to defects of law.
You now sit down
The man to be hung asked,
Can I hear the court’s reasons
So I will die knowing why
Judge answered
You, young man,
Say goodbye to your lawyer now
As for reasons, your lawyer will know
In three weeks’ time.
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