Justice Quote by Walter Scott
““Such an institution could only prevail at a time when ordinary means of justice were excluded by the hand of power, and when, in order to bring the guilty to punishment, it required all the influence and authority of such a confederacy. In no other country than one exposed to every species of feudal tyranny, and deprived of every ordinary mode of obtaining justice or redress, could such a system have taken root and flourished.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott, 1819
When ordinary justice is blocked by power, people create extra‑legal systems that rely on collective authority to punish the guilty.
In simple terms: People form alternative justice when law fails.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and address gaps in formal justice.
Themes
justice
power
feudalism
authority
collective action
Mood
critical
reflective
Type
historical
political
When to use this quote
- authoritarian regimes
- legal vacuum
- community enforcement
- historical feudal societies
Key Concepts
social contract
legitimacy
state failure
Questions to Reflect On
- What safeguards prevent alternative justice from becoming tyrannical?
- How can modern societies avoid such gaps?
A Different Perspective
These systems can become oppressive themselves if unchecked.
![“This cold weather has set all the young Folks to providing Bedfellows. I have signed two or three Licences every Day [as a Fairfax Justice of the Peace] since I have been at Home. I wish I knew where to get a good one myself; for I find cold Sheets extreamly disagreeable.” quote by George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b92/george-mason-8435_bedfellows_this-cold-weather-has-set-all-the-young_3953.jpg)
