Freedom Of the City: Justice

In the Freedom of the City, Friel shows that justice is impossible to achieve because of political prejudice. This prejudice is obvious in each of the Judge speeches as his comments show that he has already made a decision in reference to the events of the Guildhall. This bias is also shown throughout the play, as he guides the witnesses statements so that they coincide with his own personal beliefs of what exactly happened …

…issued with the findings of the inquiry. The judge concludes that the deaths of the three would have not taken place if not for the illegal protest march, and clears the army. The reader then learns that the judge has completely ignored all evidence of witness?statements if they did not fit in with his beliefs concerning the events on 1970 including the medical conclusions of Cuppley who counted 35 wounds on each body of the victims.