Life is Kind and Natural Justice Happens

It is so wonderful when you come to a point of understanding that life is not out to get you, that life supports us all. This is not a rosy statement, it all depends on how you choose to see.

When I think over the conflicts or difficulties in my past I can see it all led me to where I am. My life is a series of learning experiences I can choose to be a victim or be empowered. I will give an example. I recall years ago I had a parking fine. I believed where I parked was not dangerous, it was late at night, so no business was happening etc. There was no sign indicating to me that it was no parking. Anyway, I was told you cannot get out of parking tickets. In my mind I decided I would disappear this fine. Sounds funny but I thought why not try. I believe in speaking the truth so there was no deception in this, just simply I do not want this as I felt it was not just.

I went overseas and there had been another Council reminder to pay and by the time I returned, the fine had ballooned. Anyway, I decided to contest it and went to court. The lawyer for the Council came to me and asked if I was going to pay. I said ‘no, I want to watch the legal process and see if I have rights. I don’t feel I have done anything wrong.’ Anyway, the case was adjourned, along with others and it was rescheduled. In the intervening time I felt inspired to write a poem about the legal system. I found myself exploring natural justice. When I write poetry it is from the heart, so I wasn’t seeking to influence anyone, I just felt to write something. Then after I wrote it I decided to give it to the so-called opposition lawyer. He sat next to me in court, I was a little embarrassed as I didn’t actually expect him to sit and read it in front of me. However, I relaxed and thought, lets see what happens.  He asked me again, ‘are you going to pay the fine?’. I said ‘no’ with gentleness. He then took a breath and said ‘have you had any other fines since?’. I said ‘no’. He said ‘it’s christmas’. I smiled. Then he says ‘why don’t we just cross it off.’

I walked away and remembered my initial thoughts of disappearing the fine. I thought, wow life does work. I wouldn’t have asked for my fine to disappear unless I felt it was wrong, if I do the wrong thing and can see that, I will pay. I decided to follow my heart and see what happened. I suspect the lawyer could see I was honest and not playing a game. I genuinely wanted to see where the law went with this. I do feel the parking fine was unfair, I was told it was impossible to fight. I do agree with that, I don’t believe you fight, I believe you just speak your truth and be open to being wrong, if they prove it, fair enough. That way we don’t slam our fists down and demand justice, we respect people and look at the issue. This of course is the basic tenant of conflict resolution. We solve the problem, we don’t hate the people.

For me, I don’t believe we would need courts if people were honest with each other. If we naturally look to solve the problem, then we could come together and resolve many issues. What I see is firm positions of right and wrong. Where disputes become battles rather than places of learning. There is no reason we cannot solve. Even if the person has a mental illness, a compassionate society helps that person if they are not able to meet in the middle. It is to share our lives and our time with each other in ways that transform situations. I didn’t see the lawyer as the enemy, I saw him as a person and I spoke from the heart. He obviously saw that and made a decision. I respected him for that. I realised natural justice does indeed exist. When I am in harmony with life, life is in harmony with me.

Even had he not struck off my fine, life is still a wonderful journey. I had the experience of going to court and learning from the situation. I don’t have to be angry, I can be curious. That is the energy of change.

WHAT IS THE NATURE OF JUSTICE?

Natural justice,
Is natural,
When we hear there are two sides to every story,
For each is innocent until proven guilty,
And investigated for truth,
For justice to be natural,
It must be fair and impartial.

The scales of justice,
Is the metaphor of …
Blindness to bias,
Deafness to dishonesty,
Words that divert the course of justice,
For to be a judge is to discern truth,
And to seek truth,
Impartiality is the gavel that balances rationality with emotional intelligence.

A chief justice,
Is the one who can see both sides,
Who finds balance in reflection,
Who reaches for wisdom as clarity,
And remedies each situation,
So that both can learn from conflict.

The common laws were drafted
To provide rules that the many held in common,
To ensure order in disorder,
To ensure fairness in dishonesty,
To determine remedies for pain and suffering,
For we are each others keepers,
We all are born equal,
Regardless of socio-economic conditions,
Despite un-common language,
Beyond the misunderstandings,
Many are seeking the same outcome,
To live in freedom,
To find happiness,
And justice occurs in the moment we are just,
Retrospectively it is to close the case,
To find closure,
So all can move on,
In peace.

Some perceive the law courts,
As a tennis match,
Of persuasive points,
Of clever strategies,
For one to prove the other is wrong,
A world of right and wrong,
To be technically correct,
Within the letter of the law,
Accords rights,
But what of fairness?
How many letters have been sent in search of justice?
Only to find losers are weak,
And winners are strong,
And the game is to win,
To fight the battle,
Yet at what cost do we fight?

Is there justice in the winning?
Is there justice in the losing?
Or simply vindication of procedural law?
For natural justice provides a wise agreement,
To share responsibility,
To acknowledge each others viewpoint,
To seek to solve the problem not penalise the poor,
This is the resolution that is natural,
And builds respect,
For the relationship is ongoing in the future,
And is the basis for common lore.

If justice was never the issue for the dispute,
Then money oils the squeaky wheel,
And this is the negotiation of power,
Not natural justice in equality,
For power should be shared not bought,
Yet one can never buy truth,
For only the truth will set you free,
As a restorative justice,
Maintaining hope in judicial freedom,
That reflects society’s value of a fair go.

So my dear friends,
I leave you with my rendition,
For we read in the papers the perversion of justice every day,
Yet I believe in justice as truth,
We must find ways to make it work in the best interests of society,
For if we don’t the very fabric of law and order will break down,
For the youth are increasingly disheartened,
They see the acceptance of violence,
They see adults not walking the talk,
And they no longer believe in the future,
Yet I believe in a future that values the truth
over winning.