Law and Justice (Sikhism)
Definition
Principles of justice and law shaped by gurbani, or hymns of the Sikh Gurus, which are meant to mould and direct one’s actions.
Spirit of Justice
Sikhism is a religion which aims to inspire the individual to achieve purity of thought and action and to attain union with God. Like most religions it speaks approvingly of some actions and disapprovingly of others. But, whilst it has much to say of value for systems of law and justice, it does not itself directly prescribe a system of law and justice or lay down a defined set of legal rules. Nevertheless, there are very clear and identifiable Sikh principles of justice around which a coherent system of law and justice could be built. These principles have shaped the bani and actions of the Sikh Gurus. The Gurus resolved personal disputes between those who came before them by reference to these principles, there being no specific Sikh courts as such. [11, 12, 14, 15, 18] Whilst formal legal and administrative systems in Punjab...
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