The first step we are going to take before going into the meaning of the term injustice is to know its etymological origin. In this case, we can state that it derives from Latin, exactly from the word "iniustitia", which can be translated as "quality of not being fair" and that it is the result of the sum of three clearly identifiable lexical components of that language:
-The prefix “in-”, which means “not” and “without”.
-The adjective "iustus", which is synonymous with "just."
-The suffix "-ia", which is used to indicate "quality."
This is how an action that is contrary to justice is defined. The concept can also be used to refer to the absence of justice .
Illegality, outrage, immorality, outrage, iniquity, unreasonableness, illicitness or arbitrariness are some of the words that can act as synonyms for injustice. On the other hand, among their antonyms we find words such as justice, legality, lawfulness, morality or legitimacy, for example.
As can be seen, in order to understand the idea of injustice it is essential to know what justice is. This idea is associated with the moral principle that implies granting each subject what he deserves or what corresponds to him . By extension, justice is linked to equity and reason .
When something lacks these qualities, it is unjust. An injustice can be a moral fault caused by not doing the right thing or even constitute a crime (if it involves a violation of the law ).
Let's suppose that, in a classroom, a child throws a pencil at the teacher while her back is turned. The teacher, confused, believes that the perpetrator of the aggression was another student, whom she punishes. The real perpetrator does not confess, while the child being punished prefers to remain silent so as not to be an informer. An injustice is thus committed: due to an error by the authority (the teacher), an innocent child is punished and the person responsible for the offense goes unpunished.
Let's take the case of a murder. Despite police and judicial investigations, the culprit has not been found. Throughout the process there were several suspects, but no conclusive evidence was found to indict any of them. As time goes by, the case becomes statute-barred. In this way, the victim's family suffers the injustice caused by the fact that the criminal who ended the life of their loved one did not receive any kind of punishment for his actions.
In the same way, we have to underline that there is what is known as social injustice. This term describes the lack of morality that exists in a society. Specifically, examples of this are racial discrimination, gender violence , inequality between men and women, labour exploitation, human trafficking...
In addition, it should be noted that "Injustice" is also the title of a British television miniseries that premiered in 2011 under the direction of Colm McCarthy. It stars actors such as James Purefoy and Charlie Creed-Miles.
It tells the story of a successful criminal lawyer who tries to overcome several problems from the past that have made him lose confidence in justice.