The Release

The Law

It was 7.30 am. The lawyer in the house shouted across to us and said she was ready for court. Today was validity day; guilty or not guilty.

Sara invited me to go to court with her. She said it would be a good experience to witness court proceedings. I will get to see real life dramas. In the ride to the court she was worried if dad's migrant worker would be released, There could be unforeseen hitches and if true it would also mean he may not be released even after the 14 day remand. No bail allowed for an offence of this nature.

He was nabbed for illegal entry into the country; condemned because he did not have his papers with him while on an evening chore. He thought his work identification card was sufficient to tell authorities of his legal status. So a charge in court was made against him and the process of getting him released was not a simple one.

At the courthouse I noticed people of all races mostly fathers and mothers gathering in the magistrate
room waiting for their cases to be called. I wondered what kind of crimes had been committed. I had flash backs of such situations in school when we charge our wards of ill discipline, theft, truancy and the all. It was exactly the same feelings; except this time I was not the prosecutor but the defendant so to say. Later Sara told me that many were drug addiction crimes.

Sara was determined to get the worker out by hook or crook. She spoke to the interpreter who without prejudice reiterated that he was not sure the case could be settled. That got Sara unsettled and she contacted criminal lawyers on best solutions. Being the conscientious one, she would not take chances and had earlier on contacted Tenaganita, an NGO. This pro bono organization had sent representatives to visit the accused and also to make sure he was safe, It was not easy to get official permits for jail visits and only official bodies could get access. Dad was concerned about his welfare and whether he understood that help was on the way and that he should stay strong till then.

On a morning such as this and when you realised that not everyone could do anything unless trained as a lawyer, I am proud to be associated with an institution called school. In schools, we nurtured, taught and guided children and prepare them for the real world. Today, when I think of all that has been done to prepare a child for a vocation, I see with my own eyes how Sara carried out her duties. She was confident and vocal, asking questions to clear her doubts. She spoke to the interpreter, the chief police officer and finally the deputy public prosecutor for answers. I looked at her with much pride. The other criminal lawyer representing many clients knew about the case and was amused to find out that the daughter was standing for the father's case and quickly commented that "it is good to have a lawyer in the home; it helps ". 

After being in remand for a fortnight, the DPP finally confirmed that the legal papers have been submitted to the immigration authorities and she was happy to announce that the worker was indeed granted legal entry into the country and acquitted.That was a real relief indeed and dad broke into a smile. He would be able to collect the worker and send him back on site again. I was eager to see him and give him encouragement. As he was handcuffed to the stand I caught a sight of him. He was shaved and seemed to have aged. We tried to get his attention and reassure him that we were there to see him through.

Tenaganita also sent two lawyers to help and a worker with the organization said that they were very eager to see justice done and wanted to follow the case thoroughly. They were happy that we stood for the truth and were willing to go through difficulties for justice. The release letter from the magistrate took quite a while but the wait was worth the while. By noon, dad finally got  his worker out of the court's jail and finally headed back to site.

It was a learning process for me. I was happy and relieved that I received the assurance from Psalm 121  and knew God was working hardest for us. Sara had occasionally called out " Pray, mum".
Yes, we prayed for God's favour and He was merciful. Thank you dear God.

Happily I gave a lunch treat to Sara at her favourite chicken rice stall in SS3. I further made her day by offering to pay her tailor for a dress sewn. It was a pleasure to give her the treat. She had been a good girl and we are awfully proud of her.

All's well that ends well.

We hope to have a deep sleep tonight.