Justice and mercy can often seem like opposite ideals, because they are two antithetical ways of reasoning that frequently call for opposing actions. Justice allows society to function, as imposing punishments for doing wrong seems the only successful way of mitigating potentially harmful behaviors. Mercy stays the hand of justice, which is not only akin to righteousness, but also akin to perfection. How could humans, who are intrinsically fallible, survive without mercy? We are held no less accountable for wrongs we did not intend, because one can only know one’s own intentions. Are mistakes to be punished severely?
Justice is a powerful and deeply rooted requirement in human interaction, but it is cold and inhumane if it is not tempered with mercy. Mercy is a second look at the guilty, but it is a compassionate look, not a condemning one. Mercy has no place, however, if justice has not already detected guilt. Therefore the two are intricately intertwined, one cannot be without the other, and the other should not be without the one. What can be done when two self-aware parties clash and one is overpowered? Most modern societies try to keep all persons on a level with one another, so the overpowered must be empowered, and the vanquishers must pay dearly for overstepping their bounds. Self-awareness, however, entails consciousness, which provides room for repentance. Without mercy running in the veins of our justice, then the judiciary becomes the oppressor, which merely shifts the problem, rather than eliminating it. Therefore, if a mediator is involved [in other words: if justice is not self-imposed, which it seldom is] then justice will negate itself without mercy to sweeten it; this would happen merely by placing the power of justice in the hands of some the very people it is supposed to balance. The power of justice without mercy is the power to punish but not the power to forgive, which is often much, much harder. A judiciary without mercy is then at once too powerful and not understanding enough. It is fitting that humans should regulate human behavior.
Perhaps the values of justice and mercy can be intermingled by finding a median, a lesser justice. This justice would punish wrongdoing as well as provide a sense of vindication for one or for a community, while mercy would render the punishment milder, more bearable, for those to be punished. Justice and mercy must be united to reach a solution to conflict that is empathetic towards all parties involved, justice righting the accusers, mercy saving the accused.
