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About this quote

What does it mean?
A friend notes the irony of condemning three to death when only two truly deserved it.
In plain terms
Punishment was applied to someone innocent.
What can you take from it?
Justice systems sometimes punish the innocent.

Where it applies

  • legal review
  • ethics
  • government

Putting it to work

  • audit verdicts
  • protect rights
  • critique courts

Questions to consider

  • How often is justice flawed?
  • Who watches the watchers?

Another view

Perfect justice is impossible.

More from Nicolas Chamfort

  1. Le bonheur n'est pas chose aisee, il est tres difficile de le trouver en nous et impossible de le trouver ailleurs.

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  2. La pensee console de tout et remedie a tout. Si quelquefois elle vous fait du mal, demandez-lui le remede du mal qu'elle vous a fait, elle vous le donnera.

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  3. We must start human society from scratch; as Francis Bacon said, we must recreate human understanding.

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