A Kangaroo Court
Meaning
“A kangaroo court” refers to a mock or unfair legal proceeding in which the outcome is effectively decided in advance. It suggests that the process may look like a legitimate hearing or trial on the surface, but the person involved is not being given a genuinely fair chance to defend themselves.
The expression is also used outside actual courts. A workplace disciplinary meeting, informal investigation, or group decision can be called a kangaroo court when someone believes the process is biased or predetermined.
Usage
“Kangaroo court” is a strongly critical expression and is generally used when questioning the fairness or legitimacy of a proceeding. It can describe situations where evidence is ignored, normal procedures are bypassed, or the decision seems settled before the hearing begins.
It is commonly used with “a”, as in “They put him before a kangaroo court,” or “The hearing was nothing more than a kangaroo court.”
Example Sentences
- He called the disciplinary hearing a kangaroo court because the decision had already been made.
- The defendant claimed that the trial was a kangaroo court with no genuine opportunity to present evidence.
- The employees complained that the meeting had turned into a kangaroo court.
- She refused to participate in what she described as a kangaroo court.
- The journalist accused the committee of running a kangaroo court rather than conducting a fair investigation.