(i) Meaning: Justice implies righteousness which is used as a basis for judging values and conduct. It is an ancient concept. Greek philosopher, Socrates considered justice as a political virtue. Plato identified justice with truth and morality while Aristotle expressed that justice can be achieved in a society only when there is equality and balance. In ancient India, justice was associated with the concept of ‘Dharma’. The term justice refers to ‘a state of affairs in which every individual has exactly those burdens and benefits which are due to him.
(ii) Types of Justice:
Natural Justice – This concept is linked to the very existence of human beings and was advocated by ancient Greek and Roman philosophers. Humans can intrinsically and universally understand concepts of right and wrong. Hence there is no need for man-made law.
Legal Justice – John Austina considered law as a means to eliminate injustice and to establish a just society. Justice is a precondition to law.
Social Justice – The concept of social justice implies equal social opportunities for every individual to progress to the fullest possible extent. Social justice is reformative i.e., it aims at a revision of the social order. It involves the eradication of existing social evils. Social justice is also his fridufioe i.e., available resources should be equitably distributed to ensure social welfare. It is not just related to individuals or groups, but to society at large. Social justice is dynamic i.e. it modifies according to changing needs and situations.
The two approaches of social justice are
Procedural justice advocated by Nozick i.e., everyone should be treated equally before the law and proper legal procedures must be followed.
Social justice was propagated by Marx, Rawls, and Dr. Ambedkar.
