Show trial

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.

[1] "German Resistance Memorial Center – Biographie". gdw-berlin.de. Retrieved 30 August 2020.

[2] OED (2014): "show trial".

[3] "SHOW TRIAL | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary". dictionary.cambridge.org. Retrieved 19 June 2019.

[4] "Definition of SHOW TRIAL". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 19 June 2019.

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