Can mercy and justice coexist?

Justice and Mercy has been a widely debated topic even since Elizabethan times, as reflected in the play The Merchant Of Venice. Both are virtues which have been coveted by Man ever since the beginning of civilization. However, ever so often, they seem to be polar opposites of each other, when one has to be compromised to accommodate the other. To have justice is to uphold equality, and to have mercy is to be forgiving. In my opinion, I believe that they can co-exist.

Many people coin the term "justice" as "an eye for an eye" exchange. When someone commits a crime or injustice, he is punished accordingly, often to the law. However, one must not be confused with the definition of "justice" and "retribution" or "karma". The difference between the two is the revengeful and personal elements in the term "retribution". Without justice, the modern day society would fail to stand as people would not be held responsible for their actions. However, in order to moderate justice and to include the element of humanity, the aspect of mercy must be taken into account. An example of this is the recent incident in Iran. A man had splashed acid on a woman and blinded her, and was due to be blinded as a result of Iranian law. However, he was forgiven by the woman and escaped the dire consequences. Although mercy was taken into account and the man was pardoned, justice was still present, albeit a lightened form of it.

Mercy which is applied after justice benefits past-offenders. Past-offenders are now increasingly given a second chance at life after serving their time in jail. A local example would be the Yellow Ribbon Project will helps past-offenders integrate back into society and lead meaningful lives.

Nevertheless, there are situations which do not allow the co-existence of these two virtues. A murderer, for example, cannot be pardoned or given a lighter sentence, as this would mean injustice for the victim, who was killed.

In a nutshell, I do believe that in most situations, justice and mercy can co-exist. One cannot rely on only one of the two as both are needed to sustain a just and yet humane society.