fbpx
Wikipedia

Lady Justice

January 01, 1970

For the British judicial office holders, see Lady Justice of Appeal.
"Justitia" redirects here. For other uses, see Justitia (disambiguation).

Lady Justice (Latin: Iustitia) is an allegorical personification of the moral force in judicial systems.[1][2] Her attributes are scales, a sword and sometimes a blindfold. She often appears as a pair with Prudentia.

Statue of Lady Justice blindfolded and holding a balance and a sword, outside the Court of Final Appeal, Hong Kong

Lady Justice originates from the personification of Justice in Ancient Roman art known as Iustitia or Justitia,[3] who is equivalent to the Greek goddess Dike.[citation needed]

The goddess Justitia edit

The origin of Lady Justice was Justitia (or Iustitia), the goddess of Justice within Roman mythology. Justitia was introduced by emperor Augustus, and was thus not a very old deity in the Roman pantheon.

Justice was one of the virtues celebrated by emperor Augustus in his clipeus virtutis, and a temple of Iustitia was established in Rome by emperor Tiberius.[3] Iustitia became a symbol for the virtue of justice with which every emperor wished to associate his regime; emperor Vespasian minted coins with the image of the goddess seated on a throne called Iustitia Augusta, and many emperors after him used the image of the goddess to proclaim themselves protectors of justice.[3]

Though formally called a goddess with her own temple and cult shrine in Rome, it appears that she was from the onset viewed more as an artistic symbolic personification rather than as an actual deity with religious significance.

Depiction edit

 
The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead depicts a scene in which a deceased person's heart is weighed against the feather of truth.

The personification of justice balancing the scales dates back to their goddess Maat,[4] and later Isis, of ancient Egypt. The Hellenic deities Themis and Dike were later goddesses of justice. Themis was the embodiment of divine order, law, and custom, in her aspect as the personification of the divine rightness of law.

Scales edit

Lady Justice is often depicted with a set of scales, typically suspended from one hand, upon which she balances the relative substance and value (ie the 'weight') of the available evidence and arguments on both sides of any bilateral dispute. The scales can therefore 'tip in favour' of either side, and justice, in terms of the metaphor, can be enacted upon seeing the result.[5]

The Greek goddess Dike is depicted holding a set of scales:

If some god had been holding level the balance of Dike (Justice).

— Bacchylides, Fragment 5 (trans. Campbell, Vol. Greek Lyric IV) (Greek lyric c. 5th B.C.)

Blindfold edit

Since the 16th century, Lady Justice has often been depicted wearing a blindfold. The blindfold was originally a satirical addition intended to show Justice as blind to the injustice carried on before her,[6] but it has been reinterpreted over time and is now understood to represent impartiality, the ideal that justice should be applied without regard to wealth, power, or other status. The earliest Roman coins depicted Justitia with the sword in one hand and the scale in the other, but with her eyes uncovered.[7] Justitia was only commonly represented as "blind" since the middle of the 16th century. The first known representation of blind Justice is Hans Gieng's 1543 statue on the Gerechtigkeitsbrunnen (Fountain of Justice) in Bern.[8]

Instead of using the Janus approach, many sculptures simply leave out the blindfold altogether. For example, atop the Old Bailey courthouse in London, a statue of Lady Justice stands without a blindfold;[9] the courthouse brochures explain that this is because Lady Justice was originally not blindfolded, and because her "maidenly form" is supposed to guarantee her impartiality which renders the blindfold redundant.[10] Another variation is to depict a blindfolded Lady Justice as a human scale, weighing competing claims in each hand. An example of this can be seen at the Shelby County Courthouse in Memphis, Tennessee.[11]

Sword edit

The sword represented authority in ancient times, and conveys the idea that justice can be swift and final.[12]

Toga edit

The Greco-Roman garment symbolizes the status of the philosophical attitude that embodies justice.[12][unreliable source?]

In computer systems edit

⚖
Scales
In UnicodeU+2696 ⚖ SCALES

Unicode version 4.1.0 implemented a scales symbol at code point U+2696,[13] that may be used to represent the scales of justice.

In art edit

Sculpture edit

Painting edit

Heraldry edit

Lady Justice and her symbols are used in heraldry, especially in the arms and seals of legal government agencies.

  •  
    Justitia in arms of Ilshofen in Baden-Württemberg
  •  
    Scales and sword in the arms of a Swedish court of law
  •  
    Scales balanced on a sword in the arms of Hörby
  •  
    Prudentia and Justitia as supporters in the armorial achievement of Landskrona

See also edit

Goddesses of Justice and related concepts edit

Gods of Justice

Astronomy edit

Notable programs edit

In fiction edit

In popular culture edit

  • Metallica, a popular American heavy metal band, used an illustrated depiction of a cracked, rope-bound Lady Justice for their studio album ...And Justice for All.

References edit

  1. ^ Hamilton, Marci. God vs. the Gavel, page 296 (Cambridge University Press 2005): "The symbol of the judicial system, seen in courtrooms throughout the United States, is blindfolded Lady Justice."
  2. ^ Fabri, The challenge of change for judicial systems, page 137 (IOS Press 2000): "the judicial system is intended to be apolitical, its symbol being that of a blindfolded Lady Justice holding a balanced scales."
  3. ^ a b c "IUSTITIA". treccani.it.
  4. ^ "Appendix D: Legal Symbols of the Anglo-American Legal Tradition". The Guide to American Law : Everyone's Legal Encyclopedia. Vol. 11. St. Paul [Minn.]: West Publishing Company. 1983. p. 687. ISBN 0314732241. OCLC 9196541.
  5. ^ Supreme Court 'Symbols of Law' Information Sheet
  6. ^ Manderson, Desmond. Blind Justice (2020) 66:1 McGill LJ 5
  7. ^ See "The Scales of Justice as Represented in Engravings, Emblems, Reliefs and Sculptures of Early Modern Europe" in G. Lamoine, ed., Images et representations de la justice du XVie au XIXe siècle (Toulouse: University of Toulose-Le Mirail, 1983)" at page 8.
  8. ^ Image of Lady Justice in Berne.
  9. ^ Image of Lady Justice in London.
  10. ^ Colomb, Gregory. Designs on Truth, p. 50 (Penn State Press, 1992).
  11. ^ Image of Lady Justice in Memphis.
  12. ^ a b Brent T. Edwards. "Symbolism of Lady Justice". Retrieved 24 February 2017.
  13. ^ "Unicode Data-4.1.0". Retrieved 2020-09-28.
  14. ^ Takács, Peter. "Statues of Lady Justice in Hungary: Representation of Justitia in town halls, courthouses, and other public spaces" (PDF). Človek a Spoločnost. Győr, Hungary: Széchenyi István University. ISSN 1335-3608.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Iustitia.

January 01, 1970
lady, justice, british, judicial, office, holders, appeal, justitia, redirects, here, other, uses, justitia, disambiguation, latin, iustitia, allegorical, personification, moral, force, judicial, systems, attributes, scales, sword, sometimes, blindfold, often,. For the British judicial office holders see Lady Justice of Appeal Justitia redirects here For other uses see Justitia disambiguation Lady Justice Latin Iustitia is an allegorical personification of the moral force in judicial systems 1 2 Her attributes are scales a sword and sometimes a blindfold She often appears as a pair with Prudentia Statue of Lady Justice blindfolded and holding a balance and a sword outside the Court of Final Appeal Hong Kong Lady Justice originates from the personification of Justice in Ancient Roman art known as Iustitia or Justitia 3 who is equivalent to the Greek goddess Dike citation needed Contents 1 The goddess Justitia 2 Depiction 2 1 Scales 2 2 Blindfold 2 3 Sword 2 4 Toga 2 5 In computer systems 3 In art 3 1 Sculpture 3 2 Painting 4 Heraldry 5 See also 5 1 Goddesses of Justice and related concepts 5 2 Astronomy 5 3 Notable programs 5 4 In fiction 5 5 In popular culture 6 References 7 External linksThe goddess Justitia editThe origin of Lady Justice was Justitia or Iustitia the goddess of Justice within Roman mythology Justitia was introduced by emperor Augustus and was thus not a very old deity in the Roman pantheon Justice was one of the virtues celebrated by emperor Augustus in his clipeus virtutis and a temple of Iustitia was established in Rome by emperor Tiberius 3 Iustitia became a symbol for the virtue of justice with which every emperor wished to associate his regime emperor Vespasian minted coins with the image of the goddess seated on a throne called Iustitia Augusta and many emperors after him used the image of the goddess to proclaim themselves protectors of justice 3 Though formally called a goddess with her own temple and cult shrine in Rome it appears that she was from the onset viewed more as an artistic symbolic personification rather than as an actual deity with religious significance Depiction edit nbsp The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead depicts a scene in which a deceased person s heart is weighed against the feather of truth The personification of justice balancing the scales dates back to their goddess Maat 4 and later Isis of ancient Egypt The Hellenic deities Themis and Dike were later goddesses of justice Themis was the embodiment of divine order law and custom in her aspect as the personification of the divine rightness of law Scales edit Lady Justice is often depicted with a set of scales typically suspended from one hand upon which she balances the relative substance and value ie the weight of the available evidence and arguments on both sides of any bilateral dispute The scales can therefore tip in favour of either side and justice in terms of the metaphor can be enacted upon seeing the result 5 The Greek goddess Dike is depicted holding a set of scales If some god had been holding level the balance of Dike Justice Bacchylides Fragment 5 trans Campbell Vol Greek Lyric IV Greek lyric c 5th B C Blindfold edit Since the 16th century Lady Justice has often been depicted wearing a blindfold The blindfold was originally a satirical addition intended to show Justice as blind to the injustice carried on before her 6 but it has been reinterpreted over time and is now understood to represent impartiality the ideal that justice should be applied without regard to wealth power or other status The earliest Roman coins depicted Justitia with the sword in one hand and the scale in the other but with her eyes uncovered 7 Justitia was only commonly represented as blind since the middle of the 16th century The first known representation of blind Justice is Hans Gieng s 1543 statue on the Gerechtigkeitsbrunnen Fountain of Justice in Bern 8 Instead of using the Janus approach many sculptures simply leave out the blindfold altogether For example atop the Old Bailey courthouse in London a statue of Lady Justice stands without a blindfold 9 the courthouse brochures explain that this is because Lady Justice was originally not blindfolded and because her maidenly form is supposed to guarantee her impartiality which renders the blindfold redundant 10 Another variation is to depict a blindfolded Lady Justice as a human scale weighing competing claims in each hand An example of this can be seen at the Shelby County Courthouse in Memphis Tennessee 11 Sword edit The sword represented authority in ancient times and conveys the idea that justice can be swift and final 12 Toga edit The Greco Roman garment symbolizes the status of the philosophical attitude that embodies justice 12 unreliable source In computer systems edit ScalesIn UnicodeU 2696 SCALES Unicode version 4 1 0 implemented a scales symbol at code point U 2696 13 that may be used to represent the scales of justice In art editSculpture edit nbsp Lady Justice with sword scales and blindfold on the Gerechtigkeitsbrunnen in Bern Switzerland 1543 nbsp The Justice in front of the Supreme Court of Brazil nbsp Lady Justice seated at the entrance of The Palace of Justice Rome Italy nbsp Sculpture of Lady Justice on the Gerechtigkeitsbrunnen de in Frankfurt Germany nbsp Justitia on the Delft City Hall the Netherlands nbsp Justitia outside the Supreme Court of Canada Ottawa Ontario Canada nbsp The Central Criminal Court or Old Bailey London UK nbsp Themis Itojyuku Shibuya ku Japan nbsp 19th century sculpture of the Power of Law at Olomouc Czech Republic lacks the blindfold and scales of Justice replacing the latter with a book nbsp The Law by Jean Feuchere nbsp Themis outside the Supreme Court of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia nbsp Justice by Diana Moore Government Center Newark New Jersey nbsp Justitia in the Superior Courts Building in Budapest Hungary 14 nbsp Themis Old courthouse Ghent Belgium nbsp Justitia Tehran courthouse Tehran Iran nbsp Justica high relief in front of Justice Palace Campinas Brazil nbsp Justitia Carl Spitzweg 1857 nbsp Lady Justice at the Shelby County Courthouse in Memphis Tennessee nbsp Lady Justice at the rooftop of Riga Town Hall Latvia Painting edit nbsp Fresco in the Sala di Costantino it Raphael Rooms Raphael c 1520 nbsp Luca Giordano Palazzo Medici Riccardi in Florence 1684 1686 nbsp Gerechtigkeit Lucas Cranach the Elder 1537Heraldry editLady Justice and her symbols are used in heraldry especially in the arms and seals of legal government agencies nbsp Justitia in arms of Ilshofen in Baden Wurttemberg nbsp Scales and sword in the arms of a Swedish court of law nbsp Scales balanced on a sword in the arms of Horby nbsp Prudentia and Justitia as supporters in the armorial achievement of Landskrona Justice in numismatics nbsp Justice holding scales 0 50 U S fractional currency See also editGoddesses of Justice and related concepts edit Goddesses of Justice Astraea Dike Themis Eunomia Prudentia Praxidice Goddesses of Injustice Adikia Aspects of Justice Justice Themis Dike Eunomia Justitia Lady Justice Raguel the Angel of Justice Retribution Nemesis Rhamnousia Rhamnusia Adrasteia Adrestia Invidia Redemption Eleos Soteria Clementia Zadkiel Zachariel the Angel of Mercy Durga Hindu goddess of justice Lady Luck Lady Liberty Gods of Justice Yama and Chitragupta duo Brekyirihunuade Forseti Norse God of Justice Astronomy edit 5 Astraea 24 Themis 99 Dike and 269 Justitia main belt asteroids all named for Astraea Themis Dike and Justitia Classical goddesses of justice Notable programs edit Operation Lady Justice Presidential Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives In fiction edit Judge Anderson a female fictional law enforcer and psychic appearing in the British science fiction comics 2000 AD and the Judge Dredd Megazine In popular culture edit Metallica a popular American heavy metal band used an illustrated depiction of a cracked rope bound Lady Justice for their studio album And Justice for All References edit Hamilton Marci God vs the Gavel page 296 Cambridge University Press 2005 The symbol of the judicial system seen in courtrooms throughout the United States is blindfolded Lady Justice Fabri The challenge of change for judicial systems page 137 IOS Press 2000 the judicial system is intended to be apolitical its symbol being that of a blindfolded Lady Justice holding a balanced scales a b c IUSTITIA treccani it Appendix D Legal Symbols of the Anglo American Legal Tradition The Guide to American Law Everyone s Legal Encyclopedia Vol 11 St Paul Minn West Publishing Company 1983 p 687 ISBN 0314732241 OCLC 9196541 Supreme Court Symbols of Law Information Sheet Manderson Desmond Blind Justice 2020 66 1 McGill LJ 5 See The Scales of Justice as Represented in Engravings Emblems Reliefs and Sculptures of Early Modern Europe in G Lamoine ed Images et representations de la justice du XVie au XIXe siecle Toulouse University of Toulose Le Mirail 1983 at page 8 Image of Lady Justice in Berne Image of Lady Justice in London Colomb Gregory Designs on Truth p 50 Penn State Press 1992 Image of Lady Justice in Memphis a b Brent T Edwards Symbolism of Lady Justice Retrieved 24 February 2017 Unicode Data 4 1 0 Retrieved 2020 09 28 Takacs Peter Statues of Lady Justice in Hungary Representation of Justitia in town halls courthouses and other public spaces PDF Clovek a Spolocnost Gyor Hungary Szechenyi Istvan University ISSN 1335 3608 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Iustitia DOJ Seal History and Motto Archived 2017 11 15 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Lady Justice amp oldid 1220045387, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.