英語落穂拾い

The appointment of a nephew of Iraqi powerbroker Ahmed Chalabi as head of the tribunal which will try Saddam Hussein and his cronies has evoked concern among human rights groups.

Ahmed Chalabi, a Shia who heads the Iraqi National Congress, is known to have powerful supporters in the Bush Administration and within the Pentagon. A statement issued by the Congress Tuesday said his nephew Salem Chalabi would head the tribunal and that he has already chosen a 11 member team, comprising 7 judges and four prosecutors.

But rights activists fear that such a panel could be seen as a kangaroo court by many Iraqis, who believe the Chalabis to be American agents. This, in turn, could reinforce the suspicion that the American justice system was as politicized as Saddam Hussein's Baath regime had been, they warn.
(http://www.rediff.com/news/2004/apr/22iraq.htm)

「いかさま裁判」、「私的裁判、つるしあげ」という意味。語源は定かではない。カンガルーがジャンプするように判決に飛びつくような裁判というところから来ているという説や、アメリカのゴールドラッシュ時の非公式（かつ雑な）裁判が、他人の土地にやってきてそこを自分のものだと主張した者たち(claim jumper)を裁くものが多かったことから、claim jumperをkangarooにたとえて、非公式な裁判のことをkangaroo courtと呼ぶようになったという説がある。