Justice for All

Justice for All

               Like many Americans, I have a problem with our system of justice; which in itself is a misnomer. America does not have a justice system. It has a legal system. The difference being, justice is an equitable application of reward and punishment to all living under its domain. Legality, on the other hand, is the practice of arbitrarily applying the changing whims of legislators, to those represented.

               Justice does not sway with the wind. It is not measured in degrees. Justice states the Law and all who come before it are either innocent or guilty of transgression. At least this is how God sees justice. “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.  For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.” Transgress the law at any point and you are not guilty of a minor infraction—you are guilty of violating the entire law. Right is a solitary plumb line suspended from the hand of God. Wrong is everything else. The guilty are guilty; the innocent are innocent; and there is nothing in between. The liar and the murderer are equally guilty and share the same place of confinement. The innocent are set at liberty. This is right and fair. This is justice. It sounds hard and it is-- to all who transgress.

               The upside is that justice allows for mercy. With all pretense of innocence stripped away, the guilty may see their plight; repent and seek mercy. Likewise, they may stand fast and accept a just reward for their deeds. But whether pardoned or punished, the verdict is the same; all are guilty before the judge.

Right and fairness have little to do with legality in a republic. A legal system has degrees of guilt (and we spend a lot of time determining the degree to which someone is a felon). Some laws are not worth prosecuting. The effort required to convict and the political ramifications of pursuing the guilty do not always suit the needs of those charged with administering the system. Sometimes it is more expedient to give criminals legal sanctuary or aid in their criminal pursuits. At other times pardon may be granted while innocence is maintained. Then again, we may say “Not Guilty.” But, Not Guilty doesn’t necessarily mean innocent—not by a long shot.

While justice may be blind, legality has its eyes wide open. Conviction and punishment are often dependent on the looks, wealth, and friends of those before the court. Restitution gets lip service; social acceptability gets obeisance. Justice rules over all men alike; legality serves those most adept at wielding it. Those same adept warriors say the legal system is not perfect, but it’s the best we have. True enough—for the moment. But moments, courts and governments all pass away. Justice and the Word of God abide forever.

“If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: but if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.