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Oh, Denning, M Maloney.
That would be the sainted Lord Denning (and Lord Bridge before him, who expressed similar sentiments) and his judgement in the Birmingham Six appeal: "If the six men failed, it would mean that much time and money and worry would have been expended by many people to no good purpose [! = to do justice]. If they won, it would mean that the police were guilty of perjury; that they were guilty of violence and threats; that the confessions were involuntary and improperly admitted in evidence; [Well, our bobbies have never done any of that, have they?] and that the convictions were erroneous. That would mean that the Home Secretary would have either to recommend that they be pardoned or to remit the case to the Court of Appeal. That was such an appalling vista [= to reveal such appalling behaviour by the State] that every sensible person would say, 'It cannot be right that these actions should go any further'."!!!! A few years earlier, that might well have meant the Six being executed before (if ever) the truth came out.
You need to sort your exemplars out before using them to defend current targets of abuse.