THE BEST JUSTICE SYSTEM IN THE WORLD to Premiere at DOC NYC

THE BEST JUSTICE SYSTEM IN THE WORLD, a film by Suja A. Thomas, will have its world premiere at DOC NYC 2026 on Sunday, November 15. The documentary is executive produced by Kirsten Johnson (Dick Johnson is Dead) and consulting produced by Kurt Engfehr (Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 9/11).

More information on the film is available at the DOC NYC website.

Genre: Documentary

RT: 88 min | Not Yet Rated

Language: English | U.S.

THE BEST JUSTICE SYSTEM IN THE WORLD takes an irreverent, darkly humorous look at how the right to a jury trial has been steadily pushed out of the American justice system. Moving through criminal and civil cases, the film examines what happens when decisions that can alter the course of a person's life are placed in the hands of prosecutors, judges, and private arbitrators – some of whom can be bought and paid for. Along the way, the film follows people who have experienced the consequences firsthand, including individuals pressured to plead guilty under the threat of dramatically longer prison sentences, people imprisoned for crimes they did not commit, and workers prevented from bringing their cases before a jury of their peers.

At the center of the film is director Suja A. Thomas, a lawyer and law professor who has spent decades studying the American justice system and questioning how much power has shifted away from ordinary citizens. Blending investigation, personal experience, and comedy, Thomas travels through the institutions that shape the justice system; questioning police officers, prosecutors, judges, and other lawyers while examining the human cost of losing the jury as a safeguard.

Her investigation ultimately takes her to the United Kingdom, where a comparison with its legal system raises a larger question: if the American system no longer works the way most people believe it does, what could a better one look like?

Credits

THE BEST JUSTICE SYSTEM IN THE WORLD is written, directed, and produced by Suja A. Thomas. Executive produced by Kirsten Johnson, Ruth Ann Harnisch, Amanda Farahany, and Barry Segal. Consulting produced by Kurt Engfehr and Tony Hale. Edited by Suja A. Thomas and Connor O'Keefe. Cinematography by Derek Wiesehahn. Animation by Kay Liu, Kira Dane, and Sami Prokasky. Music by Eric V. Hachikian.