As you walk up the steps of the United States Supreme Court building in Washington, DC, you can’t avoid noticing a bold inscription carved in great letters over the entrance, “Equal Justice Under Law”.
It is a fundamental principal and ideal at the heart of the American judicial system, and part of the very Constitution of the United States—Amendment XIV [about civil rights], Section 1 states:
All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
Like many common words, “justice”, and the words related to it, are so familiar that they hardly need definition—but they do! Here’s my dictionary’s definition:
Justice [< Latin justitia < justus, lawful, rightful, proper < jus right, law.]
1. the quality of being righteous; rectitude
2. impartiality; fairness
3. the quality of being right or correct
4. sound reason; rightfulness; validity
5. reward or penalty as deserved; just deserts
6. a) the use of authority and power to uphold what is right, just, or lawful
b) the personification of this, usually a blindfolded goddess holding scales and a sword
7. the administration of law; procedure of a law court.
“Justice” is found all through the Bible—for instance:
Ex 23:2 – You shall not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When testifying in a lawsuit, you shall not follow the crowd in perverting justice.
Deut 1:16 – I charged your judges at that time, “Listen to complaints among your relatives, and administer true justice to both parties even if one of them is a resident alien”.
1 Sam 8:15 – David was king over all Israel; he dispensed justice and right to all his people.
Ps 72:2 – O God, give your judgment to the king; your justice to the king’s son; that he may govern your people with justice, your oppressed with right judgment.
Ps 85:12 – Truth will spring from the earth; justice will look down from heaven.
Ps 103:6 – The Lord does righteous deeds, brings justice to all the oppressed.
Prov 14:34 – Justice exalts a nation, but sin is a people’s disgrace.
Prov 19:28 – An unprincipled witness scoffs at justice, and the mouth of the wicked pours out iniquity.
Is 30:18 – Truly, the Lord is waiting to be gracious to you, truly, he shall rise to show you mercy; For the Lord is a God of justice: happy are all who wait for him.
Micah 6:8 – You have been told, O mortal, what is good, and what the Lord requires of you: only to do justice and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.
It’s important to remember that we strive to “do justice” not only because the United States constitution or other laws require it but especially because it’s the will of God!
27 September 2020