Preet Bharara, former US Attorney for the Southern District of New York and now a distinguished scholar in residence at NYU Law, discussed his new book, Doing Justice: A Prosecutor’s Thoughts on Crime, Punishment, and the Rule of Law, with Margaret Hoover, host of PBS’s Firing Line with Margaret Hoover, at a May 1 event hosted by the Brennan Center for Justice.
Hoover and Bharara examined how Doing Justice—which is structured to mirror the experience of going through the legal system—might serve as an guide for new prosecutors. “[Doing Justice is] an ethical primer on making the right calls in the justice system,” Hoover said. “It’s really about morality. It’s about the right people making the right calls.”
Bharara also spoke about the limitations of the law as a tool for creating justice. “There are things that the law can’t do: The law can’t cause you to forgive people, the law can’t cause you to love people, the law can’t cause you to appreciate your neighbor, the law can’t teach you grace,” he said. “If we actually want society and the country and communities to live in harmony, and to believe in something called cosmic justice and to have people get along, and appreciate each other no matter who you are, what your color is, what your background is, you’re not going to get that from a cold statute, though that can have a role. You’re going to get that from learning to overcome lots of human failings that you have.”
Watch video of the discussion:
Posted August 9, 2019