Teaching Point: Students will understand how different cultures apply different forms of justice

Discussion/Activity: Discuss Different Definitions of Justice with the Students. Have them come up with examples for each definition.

Definitions of Justice

Something that is properly due or merited

Conformity to truth, fact and reason

Responding to a citizen’s stress and meeting the citizen’s needs

Moral Rightness

Pleasing the majority

Following guidelines to make society safe

Doing the greatest good for the greatest amount of people

Compensating the victim and punishing the perpetrator

When all aspects of the situation are looked at and the best solution is decided upon

Eliminating the root of the problem to fix what is broken

Different Definitions of Justice are applied by Different Legal Systems

Question to consider: Think about the type of punishments used in our system of law. How does the America Legal System define Justice? Explore, Discuss.

Case Study:

A man at night walks into a shop and steals the money out of the cash register.

Question 1: What will his punishment be in America? Which definition of Justice supports this punishment?

Old Testament: When a man is found with a stolen item in his possession, he must pay double to the owner.

Question 2: In a legal system based on the Old Testament, what would his punishment be?

What definitions of Justice support this type of punishment?

Koran: According to the Quranic criminal justice, the thief who is convicted of stealing a thousand dollars from you must work for you until you are fully paid for the thousand dollars you lost, plus any other damage and inconvenience the theft may have caused you. At the same time, the thief's innocent wife and children are not deprived of their man, and the expensive prison system is eliminated. Imprisonment is a cruel and inhumane punishment that has proven useless to all concerned.

Question 3: In a legal system based on the Koran, what would his punishment be?

What definitions of Justice support this type of punishment?

Summary: Which legal system do you think does the best job of ensuring that “Justice is Served?” Explain in a paragraph.