An exploration of the concept of justice, focusing on its place in public service.

The three essays in Justice in Public Life, written by Claire Foster-Gilbert, Jane Sinclair, and James Hawkey, examine the meaning of justice in the twenty-first century, asking how justice can be expressed by our public service institutions and in society more widely. They consider whether justice is tied to truth and whether our idea of justice is skewed when we conflate it with fairness. They also explore how justice as a virtue can help us navigate the complexities of life in economics, in wider society, and in righting wrongs. In addition, their essays consider the threats to a just society, including human nature itself, the inheritance of unjust structures, the wide range of views about what constitutes justice, and the difficulty of establishing it globally and between nation-states. Justice in Public Life brings an often abstract concept to life, calling on public servants to nurture justice as a virtue pursued both individually and communally.

Claire Foster-Gilbert is the founding director of Westminster Abbey Institute and a current member of numerous medical and theological ethics committees. Jane Sinclair (1956–2021) was Canon Rector of St Margaret’s Church, Westminster Abbey and chair of the Westminster Abbey Institute. James Hawkey is Canon Theologian of Westminster Abbey and a visiting lecturer at King’s College London.