Legal Definitions - personal justice

Personal justice refers to an individual's subjective sense of fairness, rightness, or satisfaction regarding an outcome, particularly when a wrong has been committed or a dispute has arisen. It reflects an individual's personal belief that they have received what they deserved, or that an injustice has been adequately addressed, often from a moral or emotional standpoint, which may or may not perfectly align with the formal legal system's remedies or conclusions.

• Example 1: After discovering that a close friend had spread false rumors about her, Sarah felt deeply betrayed. While there was no legal recourse for this personal slight, Sarah confronted her friend, who eventually offered a sincere apology and committed to correcting the misinformation. Sarah felt a strong sense of personal justice because her feelings were acknowledged, the wrong was admitted, and steps were taken to repair the damage, even though no court was involved.

  Explanation: This illustrates personal justice as Sarah's individual feeling of resolution and fairness achieved through a direct, non-legal confrontation and apology, which addressed her emotional and moral sense of what was right.

• Example 2: A small business owner, Mr. Henderson, was the victim of a minor theft where some valuable tools were stolen from his workshop. The police apprehended the culprit, a young man from the neighborhood, who was ordered by the court to perform community service and pay restitution for the tools. While Mr. Henderson initially wanted a harsher punishment, he felt a sense of personal justice when the young man personally apologized to him and worked diligently to repay the cost of the tools, demonstrating genuine remorse and a commitment to change.

  Explanation: Here, personal justice goes beyond the formal legal outcome (community service and restitution). Mr. Henderson's subjective feeling of justice was fulfilled by the perpetrator's personal apology and demonstrated remorse, which addressed his need for acknowledgment of the wrong and a belief in rehabilitation.

• Example 3: A family whose home was severely damaged by a faulty construction job successfully sued the construction company and received a substantial monetary settlement to cover repairs and emotional distress. Despite the favorable legal judgment, the family still felt a lack of complete personal justice because the construction company never admitted fault publicly, continued to operate without any official reprimand from regulatory bodies, and showed no remorse for the shoddy work that endangered their lives.

  Explanation: This example highlights that personal justice is subjective and can differ from legal justice. Even with a successful legal outcome and financial compensation, the family's personal sense of justice remained unfulfilled because their moral and emotional need for accountability, public acknowledgment of wrongdoing, and genuine remorse from the company was not met.