Unqualified judges in Bolivia.

Question

Anyone care to comment in English or Spanish?

New law allows anyone to be a judge

Same story in Spanish

Answer 1

I do not think that a judge necessarily has better criteria than any fair person taken at random from the street. In fact, seeing how rich people with expensive lawyers manage to win ridiculous cases, suggests that trained lawyers make worse decisions than normal, sensible people. See for example the case of that old woman who put her cat into the microwave to dry it, and sued the company for not warning her that the microwave, designed to cook meet, would kill her cat. She won the case and got a compensation. If the judge who made such a decision is more 'qualified' than non trained judges, i.e. all of us, then I fear for my life, because it would mean that I am surrounded by crazy maniacs.

The microwaved pet stories are urban legends that never happened. - lorenzo9, May 8, 2011

You could be right - but here it is all about correcting the "oppression" of the indigenous people over the last 500 years. - ian-hill, May 8, 2011

The judges will be appointed by the government who have an absolute majority - and therfore can not be opposed. - ian-hill, May 8, 2011

I agree :) It sounds like the idiots who sued Macdonalds for making them fat 1 I mean wher was their self control? No one forced them to eat that junk food we do seem to have some crazy legislators - FELIZ77, May 8, 2011

Ok, forget about cats. In Spain, people who steals millions of euros from the country never end up in jail. That's not an urban myth. - lazarus1907, May 8, 2011

The only real problem I can see is "Who decides who is a fair person?" - ian-hill, May 8, 2011

Lazarus, "I am surrounded by crazy maniacs"--You are only just now realizing this? :) - Sabor, May 8, 2011

Lazarus your comment is so sadly true! - pacofinkler, May 8, 2011

Answer 2

You could be right - but here it is all about correcting the "oppression" of the indigenous people over the last 500 years.

It would have been easier to simply require each side in a lawsuit to pay the same amount of money to the attorneys for each side. For example, if the rich guy spends $500,000 on his laywer, he has to pay the same amount to the other guy's lawyer. And if the poor guy spends $50, he has to pay that much to the other guy's lawyer too.

That just sounds like toooo much common sense :) Would cause a revolution in justice in all countries. - ian-hill, May 8, 2011

Lorenzo - you should not run for elected office; someone will surely try to bump you off, given such sensible ideas. - pesta, May 8, 2011

If nominated, I will not run. If elected, I will not serve. - lorenzo9, May 8, 2011

Now your logic deserts you :) - ian-hill, May 8, 2011

Answer 3

They should have done a trial run with doctors first to see how that worked out.

The indigenous do have their own ways of curring ill and sick people. But doctors do need to be qualified. - ian-hill, May 8, 2011