Defining Justice

How do you define justice?

The concept of justice is complex and has no definite answer. There is no absolute definition for justice, therefore we cannot actually achieve it, but we should continue to seek it nonetheless. Commonly, justice can be thought of as the opposition to injustice on the basis of deservedness. One way that justice can be approached is through the concept of fairness. In this way, justice with respect to fairness has been widely accepted as a person getting what he or she deserves. When conflicts or wrongdoings occur in society, we turn to our legal system so that courts and judges can use fair and reasonable standards to determine exactly what the offender deserves so that the scales of justice can restore a balance. Determining what exactly is fair for a person to receive as consequence for their actions is not always easy and can be made more complex by the individual circumstances involved in the offence. Fairness can be used as a basis of justifying decisions made by our legal system.

An example where justice was not served is the R v. Jenkins case. Fergie Jenkins was a star major league baseball player who was caught in possession of cocaine. Jenkins immediately confessed his guilt, however, he was let off the hook with total discharge, a clean slate. This ruling is not justified on the principles of fairness. Fergie Jenkins committed a crime, and justice would dictate that he be punished for it. Being in possession of cocaine, an illegal narcotic, should have resulted in a fine and a criminal record at the very least. Jenkins did not receive the justice he deserved simply because of his celebrity status and high profile career. This ruling was based on the court’s knowledge that his deserving punishment (ie. a criminal record) would undoubtedly ruin his career as an athlete. Fergie Jenkins was not given fair treatment under the law, and therefore the decision made in this case was not justified.

In my own life, I do not have...