A show trial is a public trial in which the guilt or innocence of the defendant has already been determined. The purpose of holding a show trial is to present both accusation and verdict to the public, serving as an example and a warning to other would-be dissidents or transgressors.[2]
Show trials tend to be retributive rather than corrective, and they are also conducted for propagandistic purposes.[3] When aimed at individuals on the basis of protected classes or characteristics, show trials are examples of political persecution. The term was first recorded in 1928.[4]
A similar concept is "kangaroo court".
- ^ "German Resistance Memorial Center – Biographie". gdw-berlin.de. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
- ^ OED (2014): "show trial".
- ^ "SHOW TRIAL | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary". dictionary.cambridge.org. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
- ^ "Definition of SHOW TRIAL". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 19 June 2019.