Lady Justice

When someone suspected of a crime is caught and/or punished and even killed politicians and people are calling it ‘justice served’. From a law enforcement official talking about a prison sentence for a convicted criminal to the President of the USA talking about the killing of a terrorist the words ‘justice served’ are used frequently.

This idea of justice as revenge, punishment, retribution is a new one for me. In the past I have understood legal justice meaning the scales of Lady Justice were balanced when someone was punished proportionally for a crime. My understanding of social justice was struggling for equal rights and human dignity for all. My understanding of Gospel justice was the idea of restoring and reconciling the victim and criminal and showing mercy, compassion and understanding.

Justice is fairness not revenge. Justice is correcting wrongs and making rights not retribution. Justice is rehabilitation not punishment for the offender. Justice is protecting persons not killing persons. My Catholic faith teaches me that ‘capital punishment’ is not justified when society can be protected from offenders without killing the offender.

But all this is changing when politicians, media persons and ordinary individuals say justice is served when someone suffers punishment, pain and even death. Lady Justice might be blind but she can see that ‘justice served’ has nothing to do with justice.

Comments

(:commentboxchrono:)