COMMENT | When the news broke earlier in the week that the families of three boys shot dead by police nearly 11 years ago were awarded over RM1.5 million in damages by the Shah Alam High Court, the feeling was bittersweet once again.

Yes, on the one hand, there was an appalling miscarriage of justice that had been recognised by the courts after Muhammad Shamil Hafiz Shapiei, 15, Mohd Hairul Nizam Tuah, 22, and Muhammad Hanafi Omar, 21, had been shot dead by police at Glenmarie, Shah Alam, on Nov 13, 2010

On Sept 1, 2016, the Court of Appeal had granted judgment in favour of the families, ruling that the victims were illegally shot dead by the police. In last week’s decision delivered online to parties, judge Khadijah Idris awarded damages of RM1,519,200 to the families of the three victims.

But when I thought of the magnitude of the crime, I was upset and contacted lawyer N Surendran, who acted for the families. His words reminded me of just how shocking but commonplace a crime had unfolded.

The police initially claimed that...