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Phrase: Justice must not only be done, but it must be seen to be done
Pause and take a deep breath before we plunge into the world of law and justice.
Today, we will look at a foundational legal principle regarding truth and law.
Justice must not only be done, but it must be seen to be done is a famous saying in legal systems around the world.
This phrase means that it is not enough for courts and judges to make fair decisions; people must also see and believe that fairness has happened.
In other words, the process of justice should be open, clear, and understandable to everyone.
Justice is blind, but everyone else must see.
The origin of Justice must not only be done, but must be seen to be done, can be traced back to 1924 in a case called R v Sussex Justices, ex parte McCarthy, in England.
In this case, Lord Hewart, the Lord Chief Justice, used this phrase to explain that judges and courts must avoid even the appearance of unfairness.
Since then, Justice must not only be done, but it must be seen to be done has become a guiding principle for legal systems worldwide.
The meaning of Justice must not only be done, but it must be seen to be done is simple but important.
It means that people need to trust the courts and believe that everyone is treated fairly.
If decisions are made in secret or look suspicious, people might think something unfair has happened, even if it hasn’t.
That is why courts are open to the public, and reasons for decisions are explained clearly.
The usage of Justice must not only be done, but it must be seen to be done is common in courtrooms, legal writing, and public discussions about fairness.
For example, when a judge steps away from a case because they might know one of the people involved, they do it because Justice must not only be done, but it must be seen to be done.
This phrase reminds us that trust in the law is built when everyone can see that justice is truly happening.
Flesch-Kincaid Readability Test
This post is understandable by someone with at least an 8th-grade education (age 14).
On the Flesch-Kincaid reading-ease test, this post scores 70.
The easier a passage is to read, the higher the score on a scale of 0 – 100.
