Justice: It’s the law, sometimes

June 13th, 2008 at 06:58am Barry Wood

In recognition of Thursday’s Supreme Court ruling on the Guantanamo detainees, today’s word is “justice.”

The word, from the Latin for “lawful, rightful, proper,” has several meanings, including “the quality of being righteous,” “fairness,” “the quality of being right or correct,” “sound reason,” “reward or penalty as deserved,” “the use of authority and power to uphold what is right, just or lawful,” and “the administration of law.”

The judges on the Supreme Court also are called “justices,” and they voted 5-4 against the case presented by the “Justice Department.”

The personification of Justice is usually a blindfolded goddess holding scales and a sword. The blindfold is symbolic of impartiality, of being able to ignore things that are inappropriate. Still, the idea that “justice is blind” can be disturbing — and easily misinterpreted.

Entry Filed under: word origins