1. Justice and the Law
Unit 1

2. Justice? Most people equate justice with FAIRNESS and EQUALITY.
However treating everyone EQUAL DOES NOT always mean justice.
Sometimes it is UNJUST!!
HOW?

3. Equal ≠ Just MORE DETAILS The DETAILS:
Winter-time, while snowmobile riding
Severe snow storm, freezing temperatures, wet
Snowmobile broke down
Seeking safe, warm place
Took nothing!
Charged with break and enter!?!??
The DETAILS:
Broke into a cabin
New Bay Lake area
2:00 a.m. Wednesday morning
Charged with break and enter!?!??

4. How would it be more just?
To be JUST, laws must take
CIRCUMSTANCES into consideration.

5. TO BE JUST, LAWS SHOULD:
Treat LIKE cases alike (RULE of PRECEDENT) and treat different cases different.
UNJUST laws discriminate based on irrelevant factors. Race, religion, color, gender, age, disability
Justice is IMPARTIAL. A person’s position or financial status is irrelevant. (see p. 16-MacIsaac)
Just laws adhere to the values & beliefs of society.

6. Examples of unjust laws:
Apartheid
South Africa
3 Strikes law
California*
Japanese Internment
Canada -during WWII
Language Laws
Quebec

7. Injustice occurs when…
People are:
Not treated equal and should be.
Treated equal and shouldn’t be.