Conflicting Perspectives - the Justice Game

Conflicting perspectives are views or opinions which may alter from person to person. These conflicting perspectives are derived from subjective views or views that are influenced by components of context. The Justice Game by Geoffrey Robertson portrays a variety of cases which creates conflicting perspectives through the use of language and support of arguments by providing evidence from similar cases. Similarly, The Crucible film based on the play by Arthur Miller portrays conflicting perspectives through the components of hysteria and intolerance amongst the puritanical attitude of Salem in the late 17th century. It is also evident that conflicting perspectives in the documentary Loose Change 911, released in 2009 come from subjective views.

The chapter ‘The Trails of Oz’ in The Justice Game portray two very strong views on the case. Mr Brian Leary the individual responsible for the persecution of the magazine conveys a strong distaste with the magazines publication and its contents. He questions the jury and audience during the trial asking them they should ask themselves “Would I like my children to see it [the magazine]” and “would I like my neighbour’s children to see it”. He additionally highlight that “morality is essential to the health of the community” instigating that posting an “obscene article through the post” is indeed as one of the charges imposed on the three Oz men suggests they were “conspiring to corrupt public morals”. The alternate view which is strongly portrayed in the chapter is that the trial was a joke and “a fig leaf to cover up the corruption of Scotland Yard”. The metaphor included by Robertson portrays that the case was a persecution that was not a serious breach of British law. Robertson repeatedly utilises rhetoric, sarcasm and emotive language such as “Somehow Judge Argyle managed to reinvent this argument in his own mind: he told the jury that it would only have this adverse effect on readers who were mentally ill” to portray...