Drumhead trial
From Memory Alpha, the free Star Trek reference.
A drumhead trial (or kangaroo court) is an archaic form of court martial practiced on Earth in the 19th century. Such trials are marked by an emphasis on expediency and a notable lack of due process and impartiality. Often, the actual trial is a formality, with the verdict known well in advance, and are sometimes used to curb behavior in other possible offenders.
The Dramian justice system is swift and conclusions often foregone, drawing comparisons by James T. Kirk to a kangaroo court system. (TAS: "Albatross")
Captain Jean-Luc Picard once told Worf about drumhead trials: During those times, "military officers would upend a drum on the battlefield, sit at it and dispense summary justice. Those decisions were quick, punishments severe and appeals denied. Those who came to a drumhead were doomed". This explanation was made in comparison to the type of interrogation methods Admiral Norah Satie was using at the time to root out presumed saboteurs on board the ship. (TNG: "The Drumhead")
The Cardassian justice system also seems to be based on a drumhead trial; the accused is always treated as guilty (with no way of proving innocence), with the trial itself used to bring comfort to the masses in the infallibility of the government's legal system. In fact, the job of the defense council's not to prove the accused innocent, but to convince them to accept their presumed guilt.
