A chivalrous, wild and reckless lad. A knight born out of his time.
– Will Ogilvie
Harry ‘The Breaker’ Morant was a lieutenant executed during the Boer War for shooting prisoners of war. He claimed that Lord Kitchener had ordered the shootings and that he was following those orders and therefore was not guilty of murder. He asked for Lord Kitchener to be called as a witness in the case but that request was refused. If Kitchener had been called, the defence could have questioned him as to his orders and it is possible that Harry ‘The Breaker’ Morant would have been found not guilty.
This is not about whether Harry Morant was in fact guilty; he may well have been. Rather, it is about the right to a fair trial. Kitchener had relevant evidence to give, the defence sought to have him give it, and were refused.
For a trial to be fair, relevant witnesses must be called.