óréttlæti

Óréttlæti is Icelandic for injustice, the condition or quality of being unfair or of violating rights. The word is formed from réttlæti (justice) with the negating prefix ó-, indicating the absence or denial of justice. It is used to describe moral wrongs as well as legal or social abuses where people are treated unfairly or where rights are violated.

In philosophy and social science, óréttlæti refers to conditions or outcomes judged as unfair according to shared norms of fairness. It is discussed in two broad senses: distributive óréttlæti, where the allocation of goods and burdens (such as income, healthcare, opportunities) is seen as unequal or unjust; and procedural óréttlæti, where processes and institutions fail to respect due process, equal consideration, or rights.

Because it is normative, óréttlæti is often used in debates about policy and law. It is central to discussions of social justice, human rights, and policy evaluation, and is contrasted with réttlæti (justice) and jafnrétti (equality). The concept is applied to diagnose issues such as discrimination, poverty, and unequal access to essential services, as well as to critique institutional practices that produce unfair outcomes.