justice

jus|tice [ `dʒʌstıs ] noun ***

1. ) uncount the fact that something is reasonable and fair:

He appealed to their sense of justice.

Campaigners are convinced of the justice of their cause.

a ) treatment of people that is fair and morally right:

the struggle for freedom and justice

social justice: a society based on democracy, peace, and social justice

─ opposite INJUSTICE

2. ) uncount the legal process of judging and punishing people:

the criminal justice system

a miscarriage of justice (=when the wrong person is punished): one of the worst miscarriages of justice ever seen

a ) a fair result or punishment from a law court:

The family is determined to see justice done.

Criminals with political connections sometimes escape justice.

obstruct justice (=prevent the legal process of justice): She was accused of attempting to obstruct justice.

b ) bring someone to justice MAINLY JOURNALISM to make someone have a trial in order to find out whether they are guilty of a crime:

The girl's killers have never been brought to justice.

3. ) count AMERICAN a judge in a law court in the U.S.

a ) Justice used as a title before the name of a judge in the U.K.

do someone/something justice

1. ) to deal with something in the way you should deal with it:

His attitude does not do justice to the debate.

2. ) to show or emphasize all the good qualities of someone or something:

I don't think your comments do him justice.

do yourself justice

to show your ability by doing something as well as you can:

I never do myself justice in exams.

there's no justice (in the world) OFTEN HUMOROUS

used for saying that something is not fair

with justice FORMAL

used for saying that something is fair:

No one could, with justice, have said he was lazy.