1. The quality of being just; conformity to the principles of
righteousness and rectitude in all things; strict performance of moral
obligations; practical conformity to human or divine law; integrity in
the dealings of men with each other; rectitude; equity; uprightness.
Justice and judgment are the haditation of thy throne.
Ps. ixxxix. 11.
The king-becoming graces, As justice, verity, temperance,
stableness, . . . I have no relish of them.
Shak.
2. Conformity to truth and reality in expressing opinions and in
conduct; fair representation of facts respecting merit or demerit;
honesty; fidelity; impartiality; as, the justice of a description or of
a judgment; historical justice.
3. The rendering to every one his due or right; just treatment;
requital of desert; merited reward or punishment; that which is due to
one's conduct or motives.
This even-handed justice Commends the ingredients of our poisoned
chalice To our own lips.
Shak.
4. Agreeableness to right; equity; justness; as, the justice of a
claim.
<! p. 807 !>
5. A person duly commissioned to hold courts, or to try and decide
controversies and administer justice.
This title is given to the judges of the common law courts in England
and in the United States, and extends to judicial officers and
magistrates of every grade.
Bed of justice. See under Bed. - - Chief justice. See in the
Vocabulary. -- Justice of the peace (Law), a judicial officer or
subordinate magistrate appointed for the conservation of the peace in a
specified district, with other incidental powers specified in his
commission. In the United States a justice of the peace has
jurisdiction to adjudicate certain minor cases, commit offenders, etc.
Syn. -- Equity; law; right; rectitude; honesty; integrity; uprightness;
fairness; impartiality. -- Justice, Equity, Law. Justice and equity are
the same; but human laws, though designed to secure justice, are of
necessity imperfect, and hence what is strictly legal is at times far
from being equitable or just. Here a court of equity comes in to
redress the grievances. It does so, as distinguished from courts of
law; and as the latter are often styled courts of justice, some have
fancied that there is in this case a conflict between justice and
equity. The real conflict is against the working of the law; this a
court of equity brings into accordance with the claims of justice. It
would be an unfortunate use of language which should lead any one to
imagine he might have justice on his side while practicing iniquity
(inequity).
Justice, Rectitude. Rectitude, in its widest sense, is one of the most
comprehensive words in our language, denoting absolute conformity to
the rule of right in principle and practice. Justice refers more
especially to the carrying out of law, and has been considered by
moralists as of three kinds: (1) Commutative justice, which gives every
man his own property, including things pledged by promise. (2)
Distributive justice, which gives every man his exact deserts. (3)
General justice, which carries out all the ends of law, though not in
every case through the precise channels of commutative or distributive
justice; as we see often done by a parent or a ruler in his dealings
with those who are subject to his control.
Jus"tice (?), v. t. To administer justice to. [Obs.] Bacon.
Jus"tice*a*ble (?), a. Liable to trial in a court of justice. [Obs.]
Hayward.
Jus"tice*hood (?), n. Justiceship. B. Jonson.
Jus"tice*ment (?), n. Administration of justice; procedure in courts of
justice. [Obs.] Johnson.
Jus"ti*cer (?), n. One who administers justice; a judge. [Obs.] "Some
upright justicer." Shak.
Jus"tice*ship (?), n. The office or dignity of a justice. Holland.
Jus*ti"ci*a*ble (?), a. [Cf. LL. justitiabilis, F. justiciable.] Proper
to be examined in a court of justice. Bailey.
Jus*ti"ci*ar (?), n. Same as Justiciary.
Jus*ti"ci*a*ry (?), n. [Cf. LL. justitiarius, F. justicier. See
Justice.] (Old Eng. Law) An old name for the judges of the higher
English courts.
The chief justiciary, or justiciar, in early English history, was not
only the chief justice of the kingdom, but also ex officio regent in
the king's absence.
Court of justiciary (Scots Law), the supreme criminal court, having
jurisdiction over the whole of Scotland.
{ Jus"ti*co (?), Jus"ti*coat` (?) }, n. [F. justaucorps, lit., close to
the body.] Formerly, a close coat or waistcoat with sleeves.
Jus"ti*fi`a*ble (?), a. [Cf. F. justifiable. See Justify.] Capable of
being justified, or shown to be just.
Just are the ways of God, An justifiable to men.
Milton.
Syn. -- Defensible; vindicable; warrantable; excusable; exculpable;
authorizable.
-- Jus"ti*fi`a*ble*ness, n. -- Jus"ti*fi`a*bly, adv.
Jus`ti*fi*ca"tion (?), n. [L. justificatio: cf. F. justification. See
Justify.]
1. The act of justifying or the state of being justified; a showing or
proving to be just or conformable to law, justice, right, or duty;
defense; vindication; support; as, arguments in justification of the
prisoner's conduct; his disobedience admits justification.
I hope, for my brother's justification, he wrote this but as an
essay or taste of my virtue.
Shak.
2. (Law) The showing in court of a sufficient lawful reason why a party
charged or accused did that for which he is called to answer.
3. (Theol.) The act of justifying, or the state of being justified, in
respect to God's requirements.
Who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our
justification.
Rom. iv. 25.
In such righteousness To them by faith imputed, they may find
Justification toward God, and peace Of conscience.
Milton.
4. (Print.) Adjustment of type by spacing it so as to make it exactly
fill a line, or of a cut so as to hold it in the right place; also, the
leads, quads, etc., used for making such adjustment.
Jus*tif"i*ca*tive (?; 277), a. [Cf. F. justificatif.] Having power to
justify; justificatory.
Jus"ti*fi*ca`tor (?), n. [LL. justificator: cf. F. justificateur.] One
who justifies or vindicates; a justifier. Johnson.
Jus*tif"i*ca*to*ry (?; 277), a. Vindicatory; defensory; justificative.
Jus"ti*fi`er (?), n. One who justifies; one who vindicates, supports,
defends, or absolves.
Justifiers of themselves and hypocrites.
Strype.
That he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in
Jesus.
Rom. iii. 26.
Jus"ti*fy (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Justified (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Justifying (?).] [F. justifier, L. justificare; justus just + -ficare
(in comp.) to make. See Just, a., and -fy.]
1. To prove or show to be just; to vindicate; to maintain or defend as
conformable to law, right, justice, propriety, or duty.
That to the height of this great argument I may assert eternal
providence, And justify the ways of God to men.
Milton.
Unless the oppression is so extreme as to justify revolution, it
would not justify the evil of breaking up a government.
E. Everett.
2. To pronounce free from guilt or blame; to declare or prove to have
done that which is just, right, proper, etc.; to absolve; to exonerate;
to clear.