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What does the blindfold represent on Lady Justice

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Lady Justice holding the Scales of Justice is one of the most, if not the most, recognizable symbols in the legal system. The statue of Lady Justice holding the Scales of Justice demonstrates an aura of fairness, opportunity and, as you can imagine, justice. In fact, Lady Justice, or a version of it, is not only common to the United States, but is a familiar symbol for multiple countries across the world.

Lady Justice can be traced all the way back to the Egyptian goddess Maat (or Ma’at) and the ancient Greek goddesses Themis and Dike (or Dice). This should come to no surprise as Maat symbolized Egyptian ideologies of balance, harmony, justice, law and order; Themis represented fairness, law and order; and Dike embodied fair judgment and moral order. Since then, a version of Lady of Justice hoisting the Scales of Justice can be seen in various alterations in numerous countries.

Now, although Lady Justice statues may vary, the one characterization of Lady Justice that most are familiar with has three distinct features: a blindfold, the scales of justice and a sword. As one can imagine, these characteristics represent important ideas and values.

To start, the blindfold over Lady Justice’s eyes represents the notion of impartiality. The idea of impartiality is of utmost importance in the legal system as it denotes justice should be applied no matter the circumstances. Next, the Scales of Justice signify that in order for justice to be had the weight of the evidence for and against an issue should be weighed and considered before issuing a ruling. The Scales of Justice go directly to the heart of law and the duty to consider both sides presented. Finally, the sword represents a sense of authority and power and that justice can be administered quickly and in its final manner.

Lady Justice holding the Scales of Justice has been, and will continue to be, an important figure for justice systems all over the world. Its balance of impartiality and process symbolizes how justice can be served. Lady Justice is not only an interesting statue but is a reminder of the ideas and values fundamental to the law.

Artwork depicting the Lady of Justice statue, whether in the form of paintings, sculptures, coats of arms or metal statues, is found throughout the world. If you’re in North or South America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Southern and Eastern Asia, and Australasia, you will likely see the Lady of Justice statue in courthouses, law offices and legal educational institutions. The history of the Lady Justice statue goes back many thousands of years, and she typically carries symbols of justice.

The History of Lady Justice

The concept of Lady Justice is very old, dating back to ancient Greek and Egyptian times. Themis, the Greek goddess, represented the law, order, and justice, while the Egyptians had Ma’at, who stood for order and carried both a sword and the Feather of Truth. The most direct comparison, however, is with the Roman goddess of justice, Justitia.

What Does She Look Like?

The Lady Justice statue is usually in the form of a woman who is standing or sitting. She is typically dressed in a toga-like robe, maybe barefoot, and her hair is either flowing over her shoulders or braided in a bun or around her head. She holds a balance, or two-tray scale in one hand and a sword in the other; usually the scales are in the left hand and the sword in the right, but this is not always so. Sometimes, she also wears a blindfold over her eyes.

Origins of the Lady Justice Statue

Some of the first images similar to the Lady of Justice date back to the Egyptian goddess Maat, who signified truth and order in that ancient society. Later, the ancient Greeks worshipped the goddess Themis, the personification of divine law and custom, and her daughter, Dike, whose name means "justice." Dike was always depicted carrying a pair of balance scales, and it was believed that she ruled over human law.

The ancient Romans revered Justitia or lustitia, who most closely resembles the Lady of Justice statues formed in more modern times. She represented the morality of the justice system.

The Symbols of Justice

Balance Scales: These represent impartiality and the obligation of the law (through its representatives) to weigh the evidence presented to the court. Each side of a legal case needs to be looked at and comparisons made as justice is done.

Sword: This item symbolizes enforcement and respect, and means that justice stands by its decision and ruling, and is able to take action. The fact that the sword is unsheathed and very visible is a sign that justice is transparent and is not an implement of fear. A double-edged blade signifies that justice can rule against either of the parties once the evidence has been perused, and it is bound to enforce the ruling as well as protect or defend the innocent party.

Blindfold: This first appeared on a Lady Justice statue in the 16th century, and has been used intermittently since then. Apparently, its original significance was that the judicial system was tolerating abuse or ignorance of aspects of the law. However, in modern times, the blindfold represents the impartiality and objectivity of the law and that it doesn't let outside factors, such as politics, wealth or fame, influence its decisions.

Restoration of Lady of Justice Statues

Because many Lady Justice statues in North America were constructed and put in place during the late 1800s and early 1900s, they have suffered extreme weathering or were even taken down and misplaced. Heather & Little has successfully and carefully restored or replaced a number of Lady of Justice statues, including one at Navarro County Courthouse in Corsicana, Texas, and another at Milam County Court House in Cameron, Texas, both of sheet copper. Sheet zinc was used to repair the Lady Justice statue at Edgar County Court House in Paris, Illinois.

Find out more about Heather & Little's statue restoration and how we can help you re-create or repair new or historic roofs, domes, cupolas, cornices and metal statues like the lady of Justice.

Personification of justice

For the British judicial office whose holders are sometimes referred to as "Lady Justice", see Court of Appeal judge (England and Wales).

"Justitia" redirects here. For other uses, see Justitia (disambiguation).

Statue of Lady Justice blindfolded and holding a balance and a sword, outside the Court of Final Appeal, Hong Kong

Lady Justice (Latin: Iustitia) is an allegorical personification of the moral force in judicial systems.[1][2] Her attributes are scales, a sword and sometimes a blindfold. She often appears as a pair with Prudentia.

Lady Justice originates from the personification of Justice in Ancient Roman art known as Iustitia or Justitia,[3] who is equivalent to the Greek goddess Dike.

The goddess Justitia

The origin of Lady Justice was Justitia, the goddess of Justice within Roman mythology. Justitia was introduced by emperor Augustus, and was thus not a very old deity in the Roman pantheon.

Justice was one of the virtues celebrated by emperor Augustus in his clipeus virtutis, and a temple of Iustitia was established in Rome by emperor Tiberius.[3] Iustitia became a symbol for the virtue of justice with which every emperor wished to associate his regime; emperor Vespasian minted coins with the image of the goddess seated on a throne called Iustitia Augusta, and many emperors after him used the image of the goddess to proclaim themselves protectors of justice.[3]

Though formally called a goddess with her own temple and cult shrine in Rome, it appears that she was from the onset viewed more as an artistic symbolic personification rather than as an actual deity with religious significance.

Depiction

The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead depicts a scene in which a deceased person's heart is weighed against the feather of truth.

The personification of justice balancing the scales dates back to the goddess Maat,[4] and later Isis, of ancient Egypt. The Hellenic deities Themis and Dike were later goddesses of justice. Themis was the embodiment of divine order, law, and custom, in her aspect as the personification of the divine rightness of law.

Scales

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Lady Justice is most often depicted with a set of scales typically suspended from one hand, upon which she measures the strengths of a case's support and opposition.

The Greek goddess Dike is depicted holding a set of scales.

Bacchylides, Fragment 5 (trans. Campbell, Vol. Greek Lyric IV) (Greek lyric c. 5th B.C.):

If some god had been holding level the balance of Dike (Justice).

The scales represent the weighing of evidence, and the scales lack a foundation in order to signify that evidence should stand on its own.

Blindfold

18th-century Lady Justice at the Castellania, Valletta

Since the 16th century, Lady Justice has often been depicted wearing a blindfold. The blindfold was originally a satirical addition intended to show justice as blind to the injustice carried on before her,[5] but it has been reinterpreted over time and is now understood to represent impartiality, the ideal that justice should be applied without regard to wealth, power, or other status. The earliest Roman coins depicted Justitia with the sword in one hand and the scale in the other, but with her eyes uncovered.[6] Justitia was only commonly represented as "blind" since the middle of the 16th century. The first known representation of blind Justice is Hans Gieng's 1543 statue on the Gerechtigkeitsbrunnen (Fountain of Justice) in Bern.[7]

Instead of using the Janus approach, many sculptures simply leave out the blindfold altogether. For example, atop the Old Bailey courthouse in London, a statue of Lady Justice stands without a blindfold;[8] the courthouse brochures explain that this is because Lady Justice was originally not blindfolded, and because her "maidenly form" is supposed to guarantee her impartiality which renders the blindfold redundant.[9] Another variation is to depict a blindfolded Lady Justice as a human scale, weighing competing claims in each hand. An example of this can be seen at the Shelby County Courthouse in Memphis, Tennessee.[10]

Sword

The sword represented authority in ancient times, and conveys the idea that justice can be swift and final.[11]

Toga

The Greco-Roman garment symbolizes the status of the philosophical attitude that embodies justice.[11][unreliable source?]

In computer systems

⚖

Scales

In UnicodeU+2696 ⚖ SCALES

Unicode version 4.1.0 implemented a scales symbol at code point U+2696,[12] that may be used to represent the scales of justice.

In art

Sculpture

Lady Justice with sword, scales and blindfold on the Gerechtigkeitsbrunnen in Berne, Switzerland—1543
The Justice, in front of the Supreme Court of Brazil
Lady Justice seated at the entrance of The Palace of Justice, Rome, Italy
Sculpture of Lady Justice on the Gerechtigkeitsbrunnen (Frankfurt) [de] in Frankfurt, Germany
Justitia, outside the Supreme Court of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
The Central Criminal Court or Old Bailey, London, UK
Themis, Itojyuku, Shibuya-ku, Japan
19th-century sculpture of the Power of Law at Olomouc, Czech Republic—lacks the blindfold and scales of Justice, replacing the latter with a book
The Law, by Jean Feuchère
Shelby County Courthouse, Memphis, Tennessee, United States
Themis, outside the Supreme Court of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Justice by Diana Moore, Government Center, Newark, New Jersey
Justitia in the Superior Courts Building in Budapest, Hungary.[13]
Themis, Old courthouse, Ghent, Belgium
Justitia, Tehran courthouse, Tehran, Iran
Justiça, high-relief in front of Justice Palace, Campinas, Brazil
Justitia (Spitzweg) [de], Carl Spitzweg, 1857

Painting

Fresco in the Sala di Costantino [it], Raphael Rooms, Raphael, c. 1520
Luca Giordano, Palazzo Medici Riccardi in Florence, 1684–1686
Gerechtigkeit, Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1537

Heraldry

Lady Justice and her symbols are used in heraldry, especially in the arms and seals of legal government agencies.

Justitia in arms of Ilshofen in Baden-Württemberg
Scales and sword in the arms of a Swedish court of law
Scales balanced on a sword in the arms of Hörby
Prudentia and Justitia as supporters in the armorial achievement of Landskrona

Justice in numismatics
Justice holding scales, $0.50 U.S. fractional currency.

References

^ Hamilton, Marci. God vs. the Gavel, page 296 (Cambridge University Press 2005): "The symbol of the judicial system, seen in courtrooms throughout the United States, is blindfolded Lady Justice."
^ Fabri, The challenge of change for judicial systems, page 137 (IOS Press 2000): "the judicial system is intended to be apolitical, its symbol being that of a blindfolded Lady Justice holding a balanced scales."
^ a b c "IUSTITIA". treccani.it.
^ "Apendix D: Legal Symbols of the Anglo-American Legal Tradition". The Guide to American Law : Everyone's Legal Encyclopedia. Vol. 11. St. Paul [Minn.]: West Publishing Company. 1983. p. 687. ISBN 0314732241. OCLC 9196541.
^ Manderson, Desmond. Blind Justice (2020) 66:1 McGill LJ 5
^ See "The Scales of Justice as Represented in Engravings, Emblems, Reliefs and Sculptures of Early Modern Europe" in G. Lamoine, ed., Images et representations de la justice du XVie au XIXe siècle (Toulouse: University of Toulose-Le Mirail, 1983)" at page 8.
^ Image of Lady Justice in Berne.
^ Image of Lady Justice in London.
^ Colomb, Gregory. Designs on Truth, p. 50 (Penn State Press, 1992).
^ Image of Lady Justice in Memphis.
^ a b Brent T. Edwards. "Symbolism of Lady Justice". Retrieved 24 February 2017.
^ "Unicode Data-4.1.0". Retrieved 2020-09-28.
^ Takács, Peter. "Statues of Lady Justice in Hungary: Representation of Justitia in town halls, courthouses, and other public spaces" (PDF). Človek a Spoločnost. Győr, Hungary: Széchenyi István University. ISSN 1335-3608.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Iustitia.

DOJ Seal - History and Motto Archived 2017-11-15 at the Wayback Machine

Retrieved from "//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lady_Justice&oldid=1100719479"

Page 2

This article is about the asteroid. For other uses, see Astraea (disambiguation).

Large asteroid

5 Astraea (

)

Lightcurve-based 3D-model of Astraea

Discovery[1]Discovered byK. L. HenckeDiscovery siteDriesen Obs.Discovery date8 December 1845Designations

MPC designation

(5) AstraeaPronunciation/æˈstriːə/[5]

Named after

Astraea (Greek goddess)[2]

Alternative designations

1969 SE

Minor planet category

main-belt[1][3] · (middle)
Astraea[4]AdjectivesAstraeanOrbital characteristics[3]Epoch 23 March 2018 (JD 2458200.5)Uncertainty parameter 0Observation arc171.93 yr (62,799 d)Aphelion3.0659 AUPerihelion2.0810 AU

Semi-major axis

2.5735 AUEccentricity0.1914

Orbital period (sidereal)

4.13 yr (1,508 d)

Mean anomaly

186.83°

Mean motion

0° 14m 19.32s / dayInclination5.3677°

Longitude of ascending node

141.58°

Argument of perihelion

358.75°Proper orbital elements[6]

Proper semi-major axis

2.5761849 AU

Proper eccentricity

0.1980486

Proper inclination

4.5118628°

Proper mean motion

87.046396 deg / yr

Proper orbital period

4.13573 yr
(1510.574 d)

Precession of perihelion

52.210903 arcsec / yr

Precession of the ascending node

−57.357951 arcsec / yrPhysical characteristicsDimensions167 km × 123 km × 82 km[7]

Mean diameter

119 km[7]

Surface area

48 300 km2[8]Volume882 000 km3[8]Mass2.9×1018 kg[9][10]
(assumed)[11]

Mean density

~3.3 g/cm3

Synodic rotation period

0.700 03 d (16.801 h)[7]

Equatorial rotation velocity

6.44 m/s[8]

Geometric albedo

0.227[12]

Spectral type

Apparent magnitude

8.74 to 12.89

Absolute magnitude (H)

6.85

Angular diameter

0.15" to 0.041"

Astraea /æˈstriːə/ (minor planet designation: 5 Astraea) is an asteroid in the asteroid belt. Its surface is highly reflective and its composition is probably a mixture of nickel–iron with silicates of magnesium and iron. It is an S-type asteroid in the Tholen classification system.[3]

Discovery and name

Astraea was the fifth asteroid discovered, on 8 December 1845, by Karl Ludwig Hencke and named for Astræa, a goddess of justice named after the stars. It was his first of two asteroid discoveries. The second was 6 Hebe. A German amateur astronomer and post office headmaster, Hencke was looking for 4 Vesta when he stumbled on Astraea. The King of Prussia awarded him an annual pension of 1,200 marks for the discovery.[13]

Hencke's symbol for Astraea is an inverted anchor, though given Astraea's role with justice and precision, it is perhaps a stylized set of scales, or a typographic substitute for one.[14][15] This symbol is no longer used. The astrological symbol is U+2BD9 ⯙ (

), a stylized percent sign. The modern astronomical symbol is a simple encircled 5 (⑤).

For 38 years after the discovery of the fourth known asteroid, Vesta, in 1807, no further asteroids were discovered.[16] After the discovery of Astraea, five more were discovered during the 1840s, and 47 were found during the 1850s. The discovery of Astraea proved to be the starting point for the eventual demotion of the four original asteroids (which were regarded as planets at the time)[16] to their current status, as it became apparent that these four were only the largest of a new type of celestial body with thousands of members.

Characteristics

Photometry indicates prograde rotation, that the north pole points in the direction of right ascension 9 h 52 min, declination 73° with a 5° uncertainty.[7] This gives an axial tilt of about 33°. With an apparent magnitude of 8.7 (on a favorable opposition on 15 February 2016), it is only the seventeenth-brightest main-belt asteroid, and fainter than, for example, 192 Nausikaa or even 324 Bamberga (at rare near-perihelion oppositions).

An stellar occultation on 6 June 2008 allowed Astraea's diameter to be estimated; it was found to be 115 ± 6 km.[17]

Left: A size comparison of the first 10 numbered asteroids profiled against Earth's Moon.
Right: The orbit of 5 Astraea in white compared with those of Earth, Mars and Jupiter.

References

^ a b "5 Astraea". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
^ Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(5) Astraea". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (5) Astraea. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 15. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_6. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
^ a b c "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 5 Astraea" (2017-11-22 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
^ "Asteroid (5) Astraea – Proper Elements". AstDyS-2, Asteroids – Dynamic Site. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
^ "Astraea". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 22 March 2020.
^ "AstDyS-2 Astraea Synthetic Proper Orbital Elements". Department of Mathematics, University of Pisa, Italy. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
^ a b c d M. J. López-Gonzáles & E. Rodríguez Lightcurves and poles of seven asteroids, Planetary and Space Science, Vol. 53, p. 1147 (2005).
^ a b c Calculated based on the known parameters
^ Michalak, G. (2001). "Determination of asteroid masses". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 374 (2): 703–711. Bibcode:2001A&A...374..703M. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20010731.
^ (Mass estimate of Astra 0.015 / Mass of Ceres 4.75) * Mass of Ceres 9.43E+20 = 2.977E+18
^ Michalak2001 (Table 6) assumed masses of perturbing asteroids used in calculations of perturbations of the test asteroids.
^ Tedesco, E. F.; Noah, P. V.; Noah, M.; Price, S. D. (October 2004). "IRAS Minor Planet Survey V6.0". NASA Planetary Data System. 12: IRAS-A-FPA-3-RDR-IMPS-V6.0. Bibcode:2004PDSS...12.....T. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
^ "Dawn Community". NASA. Archived from the original on 21 May 2009. Retrieved 17 April 2009.
^ Bericht über die zur Bekanntmachung geeigneten Verhandlungen der Königl. Preuss. Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin. Deutsche Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin; Königlich Preussische Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin. 1845. p. 406. Der Planet hat mit Einwilligung des Entdeckers den Namen Astraea erhalten, und sein Zeichen wird nach dem Wunsche des Hr. Hencke ein umgekehrter Anker sein.
^ Schmadel, Lutz D. (2003). Dictionary of Minor Planet Names. Springer. pp. 15–18. ISBN 978-0-354-06174-2.
^ a b "The Planet Hygea". spaceweather.com. 1849. Archived from the original on 9 April 2008. Retrieved 18 April 2008.
^ Ďurech, Josef; Kaasalainen, Mikko; Herald, David; Dunham, David; Timerson, Brad; Hanuš, Josef; et al. (2011). "Combining asteroid models derived by lightcurve inversion with asteroidal occultation silhouettes" (PDF). Icarus. 214 (2): 652–670. arXiv:1104.4227. Bibcode:2011Icar..214..652D. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2011.03.016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 26 January 2012.

External links

2 Telescope images of 5 Astraea
MNRAS 7 (1846) 27
Physical characteristics of (5) Astraea at the Small Bodies Data Ferret
Discovery Circumstances: Numbered Minor Planets (1)-(5000) – Minor Planet Center
Dictionary of Minor Planet Names, Google books
5 Astraea at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
- Ephemeris · Observation prediction · Orbital info · Proper elements · Observational info
5 Astraea at the JPL Small-Body Database
- Close approach · Discovery · Ephemeris · Orbit diagram · Orbital elements · Physical parameters

Retrieved from "//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=5_Astraea&oldid=1110315216"

The goddess Justitia

Depiction

Scales

Blindfold

Sword

Toga

In computer systems

In art

Sculpture

Painting

Heraldry

See also

Goddesses of Justice and related concepts

Astronomy

Notable programs

In fiction

In popular culture

References

External links

Page 2

Discovery and name

Characteristics

See also

References

External links

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