by Joelle Steele

For most people, justice means that someone gets what they deserve. But that is only a small part of what justice is about. In the greater scheme of things, justice is an ideal. It is all about enforcing our moral values, a moral code to which we aspire to abide by for the good of ourselves and others.

To be sure everyone maintains the same moral values, we need to maintain law and order. This is where, when keeping the peace, justice must be achieved. This is known as Retributive Justice, which punishes people who break the rules. This is what TV shows like Law & Order are about.

But there are other forms of justice too, and not all of them are achieved throughout the United States or anywhere else in the world. They are only a dream for most people.

Environmental Justice. This means treating all people fairly when it comes to their environmental obstacles and burdens as well as their good fortune and benefits.

Social Justice. This means treating people equally in all aspects of life, regardless of their race, sex, religion. The U.S. Constitution attempts to achieve this type of justice.

Distributive Justice. This means distributing assets equally within a society. This is what socialism is about, and most countries, including the U.S., have at least a few socialistic programs to address the needs of their citizens.

Procedural Justice. This means making legal decisions in a fair and unbiased manner. This is what the U.S. Congress does. They are lawmakers who make laws that uphold and improve the U.S. Constitution.

Restorative Justice. This means to compensate people who have been treated unfairly. This is most frequently achieved through the Civil Courts (e.g., Small Claims Court, Superior Court, Supreme Court) in the United States.

Because justice is an ideal, and one that we can all agree must be upheld in one form or another, it is especially important to understand that when justice is handed out by a court decision or a new law or interpretation of a law, not everyone will always agree that justice was served. And so, we must all attempt to understand what justice means in all its forms, and then we must fulfill our roles in helping make justice a reality, particularly by supporting laws that are fair and just for all, and also by participating in our civic duties as jurors and exercising our right to vote.