Difference Between Law and Justice

Law refers to a system of rules that society or government develops in order to govern the behavior whereas justice refers to a concept based on equality, fairness and morality. This is the key difference between law and justice.

The concepts of law and justice are so intertwined that it is hard to imagine one without the other. In fact, the image of a blindfolded lady holding a scale in her hand comes straight to our mind when we try to visualize the two concepts. Equal justice under the law is a common phrase that assures people of fairness of the system of law and the deliverance of justice irrespective of class, caste, or creed. However, upon closer inspection, there seems to be a difference between law and justice.

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Law
3. What is Justice
4. Side by Side Comparison – Law vs Justice in Tabular Form
5. Summary

What is Law?

Throughout history, mankind has tried to suppress deviant behaviors through taboos, norms, and finally laws. While social norms have a religious and social sanction, laws are written rules and regulations that try to maintain peace and order in the society by keeping individuals away from deviant behavior. While there are laws having universal appeal, there are also laws that have cultural influences. Laws are enacted by elected members of the legislative assembly of the place after much deliberation and passage.

Therefore, laws have traditionally been a tool in the hands of a government to ensure compliance from the members of the society. Moreover, laws have coercive powers as the courts and police are there to back these laws.

What is Justice?

The entire legal system that includes laws and all the paraphernalia including the lawyers and the courts is based upon the concept of justice. Justice is a word that originates from the word just, which refers to fairness. Doing justice is being right and fair. Though justice is served using the courts and all the laws, in the eyes of the people justice is much more than a sentence from a court of law. The verdict has to appear to be fair and just and not just legally correct.

Figure 01: Lady of Justice

The blindfolded lady of justice has been an embodiment of the concept since ages. She has a sword that signifies the coercive powers of justice. She also has a scale in her hand that signifies the fact that everyone is equal in the eyes of the law.

What is the Difference Between Law and Justice?

Law refers to a system of rules that society or government develops in order to govern behavior whereas justice refers to the quality of being fair. This is the key difference between law and justice. Most importantly, Justice is a concept that stands for everything fair and right while the law is a tool to serve justice. Another important difference between law and justice is that the laws are enacted, repealed, and modified while justice is a universal value. Moreover, the law has a legal backing while the justice has a moral backing. While the law is concrete, justice is abstract. Furthermore, justice is sometimes seen as divine although the law is always according to rules and regulations.

The below infographic presents the difference between law and justice in tabular form.

Summary – Law vs Justice

The basic difference between law and justice is that the law refers to a system of rules that society or government develops in order to govern behavior whereas justice refers to a concept based on equality, fairness and morality. The entire legal system that includes laws and all the paraphernalia including the lawyers and the courts is based upon the concept of justice.