These words are famously associated with Charles Dickens’ 1838 novel, Oliver Twist. However, the expression appeared in print much earlier, in the 1654 play Revenge of Honour: “The law is such an ass.”
It refers to the foolish or rigid application of the law when it defies common sense, humanity or reality.
This remains true today. Our legal ecosystem appears trapped in a time warp.
Consider a recent case in which the High Court rejected a man’s bid to secure Malaysian citizenship for his stateless son, despite DNA tests establishing their biological relationship.
