Nope, it's the laws that have no room for exception and interpretation that are among the worst kinds.
Laws where you can show mercy, where you can recognize the limits of human capacity, are actually among the best kinds.
At least, as long as humans continue to be imperfect.
I prefer my justice blind, thank you.
That's not to say I think that laws can't prescribe a range for punishments, for example 1 to 5 years in prison for something, with a judge considering various factors while deciding the actual sentence.
But there should be no built-in provision for non-enforcement. If you're not comfortable with everyone being equally subjected to a law, perhaps the activity in question should not be illegal.
In this case, the couple did nothing illegal, they're just being penalized because of what happened on their property centuries before they were born. That goes against the notion of basic fairness held by most people. That's why the law has to contain provisions for "relief".