What does Justice mean to you?

Lecturer in law and keen Egyptologist Emma Curryer writes about justice and the concept of Maat.

What do you see in this picture on the right and what does it mean to you?

To me it represents justice and shows the scales of justice being held out by a blindfolded women carrying a sword.  At its basic level that is what the picture shows, but it is so more than that.

As a criminal lawyer, I have always been struck by the importance of signs, symbols, and pictures to demonstrate  concepts that are central to all we do.  This picture is no exception. 

To me the scales of justice represent fairness, morality, protection for the innocent  and punishment for the guilty.  They demonstrate  the weighing up of the evidence to make a considered decision., At any point they can be tipped one way or the other.  How they are tipped depends on so many different factors and very much on society and the political and other influences of the day that shape our laws.  

In the other hand the lady holds a sword, showing her ability to protect justice at all costs and make sure that justice is administered as swiftly as it can be.  It demonstrates her fearsome attitude to the protection of justice and the innocent.  What is perhaps most interesting is that she is blindfolded.  Why?  Just ponder that for a moment.

The concept of justice has been around for a very long time.  More than 3,000 years ago, the Ancient Egyptians had the concept of Maat, embodied in a goddess, an embracing theory of justice, balance, and order.  They believed above all in the order of things and the need for balance, fearing that without Maat chaos would come resulting in death and destruction.

Ancient Egyptian goddess Ma'at. Photograph. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 26 Mar 2018.
quest-eb-com.libezproxy.open.ac.uk/search/132_1523673/1/132_1523673/cite. Accessed 9 Jun 2022.

Here, Maat is depicted as a women with protective wings, rather than a sword but the concept is the same.  It is not dissimilar to the more modern depiction of justice.

Ancient Egyptian’s placed emphasis on funerary practices believing that a part of your life force remained after death.  In certain periods of ancient Egypt, after a person died, they believed that judgement took place, and the heart would be weighed against the feather of the goddess Maat and failure meant you would be devoured by a monster known as Ammut and face a second death.  The concept of Maat and justice was strong and so we see the start of the introduction of scales representing justice.

F

Funerary papyrus of Djedkhonsouefankh depicting the judgement of the deceased, Third Intermediate Period . Fine Art. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 25 May 2016.

quest-eb-com.libezproxy.open.ac.uk/search/108_215684/1/108_215684/cite. Accessed 9 Jun 2022.

This idea of using scales and the protective force of a women denoting motherhood with a protective nature has developed over time. It is a strong message to send to the general populace and a reminder of the power of presentation.

Returning to our original picture. Why is the woman in our original picture wearing a blindfold?  You may have other ideas, but to me it represents that justice should be upheld no matter who you are, it should be impartial and take no notice of wealth or power and given out without fear or favour.  I like to think that this is enshrined in the rule of law but that’s another story.