Thomas Jefferson, Perhaps One of the World\'s

Thomas Jefferson, perhaps one of the world's greatest advocates of liberty once said, "I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences of attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it." The aforesaid sentiment is a cornerstone of the foundation of the legal system in the United States of America. A system that may, more often than not, be taken for granted by its citizens but is a wonder to behold for people who are not so fortunate as to live in a democratic country.

I, myself, come from Iran, a country that is ruled by conservative-dominated institutions that are not elected. These institutions include the judiciary, the Council of Guardians and the office of the Leader of the Islamic Republic, all of whom use arbitrary detention, unfair trial, and restrictions on basic freedoms in pursuit of their own political and religious interests. As such, I have grown up in an environment where I have personally observed the disastrous effects of a legal system that is a mere tool in the hands of parties who abuse their powers.

I have also personally experienced the lack of justice in civilian life during my years in Iran. I remember the reluctance amongst ordinary, innocent citizens to even express an opinion on any aspect of civilian life because they feared that they would be seen as against the regime and executed. I remember the trauma of adjustment that women had to suffer when the fundamentalist regime embarked on a campaign of suppression of their basic rights. Overnight, girls were forced to wear veils, attend separate schools and face all sorts of restrictions.

And above all, I can still recall the extreme sense of moral outrage that I felt at the injustice of it all.

They say that the importance of the concept of justice is best understood and appreciated by people who have suffered at the hands of injustice. Not only can I personally avouch for the aforesaid statement, I can add to it by stating that such personal experience results in a desire to procure justice both for oneself as well as for others. It is this very same desire that has, in my case, led to my seeking the necessary qualifications to actively participate and contribute to the carrying out of justice, particularly among the weaker sections of society.