A more thorough explanation:

in publicam vindictam

In publicam vindictam is a Latin term used in history to describe the act of vindicating public right.

• When the government took action against the corrupt officials, it was in publicam vindictam.
• The court's decision to punish the company for violating environmental laws was in publicam vindictam.

These examples illustrate how in publicam vindictam is used to describe actions taken to uphold public rights. In both cases, the government and the court took action to punish those who had violated laws and regulations that were in place to protect the public. By doing so, they were vindicating the public's right to a safe and fair society.