Assignment two
7/5/12
Dr. Singh
Justice is a word that has been defined by many but all seem to have similar meanings. For example, Plato thinks that justice consists of maintaining the societal status quo. In addition, justice is seen as one’s virtues, wisdom, temperance, and courage. He states that in an ordered state everyone should perform his or her role and not interfere with what others do. Whereas, Aristotle says justice is within the law and that the law is the unwritten custom of all or the majority of men which draws a distinction between what is honorable and what is base.
Distributive justice is normative principles designed to guide the allocation of the benefits and burdens of economic activity. Wealth, health care, and education are considered some examples of rewards and benefits from society. Distributive justice is designed to cover the distribution of the benefits and burdens of economic activity among individuals in a society. However, this distribution causes many dilemmas due to the division of these rewards and benefits. Some theorists think that distributive justice does not answer questions of who has the right to enforce a particular favored distribution. On the other hand, some theorists argue that there is no favored distribution. Substantive justice is written law that governs the rights and obligations of those who are subject to it. It defines the legal relationship of one person with another or between them and the state. Substantive justice stands in contrast to procedural law, which comprises the rules by which a court hears and determines what happens in civil or criminal proceedings. Procedural justice deals with the method and means by which substantive justice is made and administered. The time allowed for one party to sue another and the rules of law governing the process of the lawsuit is examples of procedural laws. Substantive justice defines crimes and punishments in the criminal law as