CHAPTER 1 Basic legal concepts
Activity 1 — Lady Justice
You may have seen her outside courthouses or
law offices, in law books, as a statue or in
pictures. Carrying a sword and a set of scales,
and often wearing a blindfold, this is Justitia,
also known as Lady Justice. She is a symbol of
justice and a fair and impartial legal system,
but how did she gain this role and what does she
actually represent?
The origins of the symbol
The icon of a female carrying sword and scales
is a universally recognised symbol of justice.
She is intended to symbolise the fair and equal
administration of the law, without corruption,
bias, prejudice or favour.
The origins of Lady Justice go back to
ancient times. The ancient Egyptians were the
first to depict a woman as the image of the law.
Her name was Maat and she was often shown carrying a sword with an ostrich feather
in her hair to symbolise truth and justice. Maat personified the proper order of the
universe, right thinking, correct action and the regulation of time and space. The
ancient Greeks also used a symbol of a woman to represent truth and justice. She
was the goddess Themis, who is considered the goddess of divine justice, and closely
connected to her daughter, Dike.
In Ancient Roman times a similar female symbol appeared known as Justitia, the
goddess of justice. At first she was depicted as a woman holding a cornucopia (a
horn-shaped container) and scales, but was later portrayed with a blindfold, holding
scales and a sword or sceptre.
The meaning of the symbols
The most common understanding of the symbols today is that the figure of a
blindfolded woman with a scale in one hand and a sword in the other demonstrates
that lawmakers are dedicated to treating all members of the community with
impartiality, fairness and appropriate sanctions where justice requires.
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The blindfold
Justitia is sometimes represented blindfolded to symbolise impartiality. That is, the
making of objective decisions without undue bias or influences such as favour,
identity, power or money. Justitia’s eyes have not always been blindfolded, but
some images show her staring straight ahead. The blindfold appeared around the
time of the establishment of professional, independent judges, who stood apart from
the ruler and were not simply acting on the ruler’s instructions.
The scales
The meaning of her scales may be traced back to the Egyptian Book of the Dead, to
the Old Testament and to weighing as a symbol of judgment in the Koran. The most
commonly accepted meaning of the scales is that each person receives the justice
that is due to them in a court of law, no more and no less.
The sword
It is commonly accepted that the sword is a symbol of the power of Justitia to
condemn or punish those who fail in their public duties. It represents the rigour of
justice, which does not hesitate to punish with appropriate sanctions if that is what
the law and justice requires.
Activity questions
1
Outline the history of Lady Justice.
2
Explain what is represented by each of Lady Justice’s symbols.
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3
Considering what you have learnt in Chapter 1 of Cambridge Legal Studies —
Preliminary, explain what is meant by the word ‘justice’.
4
What are the elements of a just legal system and how do these relate to Lady
Justice’s symbols?
5
Do you think the image of Lady Justice properly represents the legal system in
Australia today? Justify your answer with reasons.
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6
If you could change this symbol to make it more representative of modern
Australian society, what changes would you make?
7
Draw an illustration representing the modern Australian legal system.
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8
There are many different symbols reflecting law, justice, fairness, access and
equality. Using the internet, research the above terms and present some of the
images and meanings behind the concepts. You can include cartoons or articles in
your summary.
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CHAPTER 1 Basic legal concepts
Activity 2 — Legal concepts crossword
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Solutions to Activity 2 — Legal concepts crossword
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CHAPTER 1 Basic legal concepts
Activity 3 — Rules and laws
Rules
Choose three of the following situations and think of a rule that applies:
 household rules
 school rules
 social etiquette
 friendship rules
 AFL rules.
Complete the table below by answering each question in the left-hand column for
each of your three rules.
Question
1
What is the
purpose of the
rule?
2
How could you
best write the
rule down?
3
Who is
responsible for
setting or
deciding the
rule?
4
Who does the
rule apply to?
5
Who enforces
the rule?
6
What are the
consequences
of breaking the
rule?
Rule 1
Rule 2
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Rule 3
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Laws
Choose three types of laws from the following list:








speed limits
film censorship laws
criminal law of assault
taxation laws
shoplifting laws
contract laws
consumer protection laws
workplace safety laws.
Complete the table below by answering each question in the left-hand column for
each of your three laws.
Question
1
What are the
likely reasons
behind the law?
2
Who is
responsible for
making the law?
3
In what
situations is it
most likely to
apply?
4
Can you think
of any
exceptions to
the law and if
so, what is the
reason behind
the exception?
5
Who enforces
the law?
6
What are the
consequences
of breaking the
law?
Law 1
Law 2
2
Law 3
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