Ebaõiglusest

Ebaõiglusest is an Estonian term used to describe injustice or unfairness, particularly in relation to rights, equal treatment, and ethical standards. It can refer to situations, practices, or policies where individuals or groups do not receive fair consideration or where rights are violated.

Etymologically, the word combines eba‑ meaning “un-” and õigus meaning “law” or “right,” with the suffix -lus forming a noun. The ending -st marks the elative case, so ebaõiglusest means “about injustice,” “from injustice,” or “concerning unfairness” depending on the syntactic context.

In practice, ebaõiglusest is used in ethical, legal, and social discussions to describe phenomena such as discrimination, unequal access to resources, biased decision‑making, or abuses of power. It is a descriptive term for unfair outcomes or processes and is not limited to illegal acts; something can be unfair yet legal, and vice versa.

Philosophical and legal contexts in Estonia often contrast ebaõiglus with õiglus (fairness or justice) and discuss how institutions, policies, and practices can reduce or exacerbate injustice. Debates may address distributive justice, procedural fairness, and the protection of individual rights within a rule-of-law framework.

Related concepts include õigus, õiglus, võrdsus (equality), ebavõrdsus (inequality), and õiguskaitse (legal protection). Ebaõiglusest thus serves as a focal point for analyzing and criticizing unfair outcomes in various domains of society.