An object lesson in the hidden uses of numeracy – preventing minor miscarriages of justice!
As Halfway There notes, in 2008 a judge in Portugal increased a plaintiff’s punishment, when he intended to decrease it, thanks to some awful maths.
…ome hapless guy got slammed with a “penhora,” which translates into English as “distrainment”—the seizure of personal property to enforce the payment or discharge of an obligation. In this particular case, the subject of the distrainment had suffered the seizure of 1/6 of his assets. He petitioned the court for relief, claiming that he was suffering grave economic hardship.
The court solemnly pondered the petitioner’s request, noting the necessity of proportionately balancing the petitioner’s well-being against his responsibility to discharge his legal obligations. Upon consideration, the court ruled that the distrainment of 1/6 of the petitioner’s assets had been too severe and ordered a relaxation of the order. The new order instead stipulated a seizure of 1/5 of his assets.
This would be hilarious, if it wasn’t somewhat less than funny for the recipient of the Judge’s generosity.
But it goes to show that maths is necessary for all sorts of careers, not least those in the distinguished legal profession…