[Vocabulary] Render justice with cold blood

Status
Not open for further replies.

Marina Gaidar

Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2012
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Russian
Home Country
Ukraine
Current Location
Ukraine
I have several doubts about the following sentences. I will type them in bald. "I gave you power to render justice with cold blood and common sense. But a judge should never forget about mercy. Otherwise the justice grows into a simple tyranny".
 

Gillnetter

Key Member
Joined
Jan 16, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
I have several doubts about the following sentences. I will type them in [STRIKE]bald[/STRIKE] bold. "I gave you power to render justice with cold blood and common sense. But a judge should never forget about mercy. Otherwise the justice grows into a simple tyranny".
To "render" is to give or make possible. "cold blood" usually means without emotion. The "the" here refers to a specific justice. "grows into" indicates something that matures or becomes something else - a child grows into an adult.

So...you have the power to give justice. The justice you deliver should be the result of an unemotional decision mixed with common sense. If a judge forgets about mercy there is a chance that his/her decisions will develop into a form of tyranny.

This seems to be a warning given to new judges to not only follow the letter (as written) of the law, but also, the spirit (the intent) of the law. If a person steals a loaf of bread because he is hungry, should a judge decide that this person should go to jail for six months (the term imposed by the current law - the letter of the law), or should the judge allow the person to go free and only force him to pay for the bread (a show of mercy)? If a judge merely applies the law and puts people into jail for minor offenses, the jail terms given (the justice) will become, over time, a sort of tyranny.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top