Injustice of special courts

It is in relation to trials for political offences that departures are most often made from the principle that everyone has a right to be tried by his natural judge; special courts have from time to time been set up on an ad hoc basis in various countries to try such offences, especially in conditions of political turmoil. Such establishment of a special court to try one person or a group of persons is to be regarded with the gravest suspicion. Even the establishment of special courts having continuous jurisdiction over crimes against the security of the State may carry with it the possibility of discrimination on political grounds.