English Idiom – Kangaroo Court.

Meaning – An unofficial or unauthorised “mock” court. This expression can be used to refer to an unofficial court or a court that exists to come to a predetermined conclusion. This may be a court that ignores recognised standards of law or justice – or that carries no official standing in its location.

Mock trials, show trials and sham trials are terms used to refer to unofficial or fake trials.

Related Expressions:

Usage:

When could you use this idiom?

  • A body of people with no real power have decided to that you can no longer remain part of their club.
  • The government has created a mock court that will decide if they themselves are guilty of some wrongdoings.
  • A group of people hold a mock court session to find a local person “guilty” of some petty crime.

Example:

  • “There were accusations that the recent tribunal in Paris was nothing more than a kangaroo court – the final outcome was never in doubt.”

In The News:

“Assange enters the kangaroo court“

Discuss:

  • Is there an idiom like this in your country?

What is an idiom?

An idiom is a word or phrase that is not taken literally.  An idiom is an expression that cannot be understood from the meanings of its individual words, but has a separate meaning of its own.