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On air at 17&18GMT: What purpose should justice serve?

Ros Atkins Ros Atkins | 14:34 UK time, Thursday, 12 May 2011

We ask this question because two of the most discussed stories in the world both raise the issue of what justice means to us, and what we want the administration of justice to achieve. Where do punishment, vengeance, holding someone to account, and keeping society safe fit into your view of its role?


JOHN DEMJANJUK
A German court has found the 91 year old guilty of helping to murder more than 28,000 Jews at a Nazi death camp. He's been sentenced to five years in prison. The prosecution was calling for six. Now we have the verdict and the punishment, was the lengthy pursuit of this elderly man worth the time, effort and expense?

OSAMA BIN LADEN
His death may have shifted out of the lead stories in the mainstream media, but levels of interest are undimmed. Earlier, three of the top ten stories on bbcnews.com were about this. The latest development is that US Attorney General Eric Holder has insisted Bin Laden was not assassinated. Clearly it's impossible for us to know exactly what happened, but we can still discuss (as we have done on the show) what would have constituted justice for the attacks he helped to organise.

If you'd like to take part, let us know.

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