Justice - Balance Restored
Wrongs must be righted and balance restored through proper judgment.
Celtic law was complex and sophisticated, seeking to restore balance rather than simply punish. Compensation (eric) for wrongs, careful weighing of circumstances, and arbitration by druids and brehons characterized Celtic justice. The goal was community harmony.
Justice is the truth of the king; without it, the land withers.
Celtic law focused on restoration rather than punishment, maintaining social harmony.
Testament of Morann
Written about in
- What Celtic tradition says about what to say and what to leave unsaid
Brehon judgment aimed at eric, the compensation that restores balance, rather than at punishment. The test for speech follows from that: not whether you were right, but whether what you said left the thing repairable.