Snippet #2816255

"We've heard the same thing over and over before," Dvořák said, shaking his head. "She isn't to blame; she was just following orders; she had no choice. And look. I don't even disbelieve that. But the thing is, here on Terra, we don't accept following orders as a defense in a court of law. If a Terran soldier violates laws against war crimes and crimes against humanity because of an order from a superior, that soldier will be charged - and so will the soldier's commanding officer. The soldier's responsible for the conduct. The commanding officer's responsible for the illegal order. Soldiers have a right - and a duty, damnit - to refuse illegal orders." Something tightened in his voice at that, and he slapped his hand on his thigh for emphasis. "And besides. We've prosecuted our own here, which you clearly know. We know you won't extradite her, and we're not expecting you to. We know she'll never appear in a Terran court. But we can't just dismiss the case because she feels guilty. Most people who aren't completely psychopathic probably feel guilty for what they've done on at least some level, and I'll bet that even applies to a significant proportion of our prison population too. Guilt isn't punishment. Guilt isn't justice."