Between Violence and Law, Is There a Place for Justice?

The interrelationship between violence, law and ultimately justice is bound by the relationships between individuals, between individuals and the state, between collectives and groups. A regulative force emerges through these structures. The links between violence, law and justice have been theorised throughout history. One of the earliest renditions is articulated by Hesod as <i>Zeus</i> and <i>Themis</i> (the goddess of divine justice) gave birth to <i>Dikē </i>(justice), placing her on Earth empowering her as the guardian of human justice. This interrelationship derives from the Greek, embodied in <i>Dikē</i> related to the law, the <i>nomos</i>, the underlying set of laws that structure societies. <i>Nomos</i> refers to the universe, providing the underlying schema for understanding all law; it is the law of law. <i>Nomos </i>is not revealed in statute, that one society has one set of regulations different from others, but through the fact that regulations exist. The distinction of the individual nature of a set of laws, of participating, being a part of society, stems from the regulative force of <i>Dikē</i>. Justice, human justice, is the horizon between violence and law.