Iustitiae

Iustitiae is a Latin term derived from iustitia, the word for justice. In Latin grammar, iustitiae can appear in different roles depending on case and number. It is the genitive singular and the dative singular of iustitia, and it can also be the nominative plural form of iustitia, meaning “the justices” in contexts where a group of judges is referenced. Because Latin forms shift by case, iustitiae can translate as “of justice,” “to/for justice,” or, when used as a plural subject, “the justices.”

In usage, iustitiae appears most often in inscriptions, legal and ecclesiastical texts, and other Latin writings where possessive or dative relations to justice are being described. When iustitiae appears as a nominative plural, it may refer to a body of judges or magistrates, depending on the surrounding text. The word is also connected to the personification of justice in classical and medieval Latin literature; iustitia is commonly depicted as a goddess or allegorical figure, and iustitiae may function within that tradition as a reference to justice itself or to the collective office of those who administer it.

In modern scholarship and in the study of Latin language and law, iustitiae is encountered primarily in quotation, inscriptional contexts, or mottoes rather than as a standalone English term. Its precise meaning hinges on grammatical case and the textual context in which it appears. For readers, recognizing iustitiae as a form of iustitia helps clarify whether the passage discusses justice as a concept, a recipient or beneficiary (dative), a possession (genitive), or a group of judges (nominative plural). See also iustitia and the broader figure of Justitia, the personification of justice.