Unfortunately, due to imperfections of human-created justice systems, that immoral is not always deemed illegal. If so, what if there is an unrepentant criminal who ‘gets away’ with a terrible crime, due to a legal loophole? What if there is a victim who is indignant, who pines for justice? In the Buddhist perspective, things become morally murky if there is vengeance craved, mixed with fear and hatred.
This is so as to nurse such defilements is morally wrong too, distancing us from peace of mind. Why should we be morally wrong towards others simply because others are morally wrong towards us? The challenge is to seek fair justice without being unjust. Even if ‘punishment’ meted out seems fair, if there is hatefulness involved, oneself is to that extent still wrong.
However, there are three ‘consolations’… [1] Even if human law seems to fail despite the ‘full’ extension of its long hand, the law of karma will catch up in good time, in this or a future life, if the wrong is not repented in time. [2] If the unrepentant is still full of greed, hatred and delusion, he or she might be a repeat offender, thus further self-sabotaging, incriminating oneself more clearly, justifying legal retribution then.
[3] If skilful, is it possible to set a fair trap for [2] above, to catch the guilty red-handed? There should be no actual harm of anyone, including oneself. Again, the challenge of creating such entrapment is to ensure that there is no hatred involved. It should be done with compassion instead, to prevent the guilty from going scot-free, to possibly harm more, and to urge repentance too.
