The Philosophy of Justice in a Democratic Society: The Nigerian Experience.

Most countries that found democracy desirable and as he most acceptable currency of modern governance must have been deceived or engrossed in its properties that tends to define life in terms of promoting human dignity and development. More so, that democracy exhumes freedom, promote human rights, rule of law and ensure fairness and justice. In any sense, what makes democracy attractive may not necessarily be its properties, but more importantly, because its vital breath is individual liberty erected on the philosophy of justice. Thus the idea of individual liberty, rule of law and freedom become immaterial without the vitality of justice. Justice therefore assumes a harmonising and synthesising factor upon social, political economic and environmental values of democracy are built. For a democratic state, the principle of justice is sacrosanct to its operations, while its justice system must be well insulated and robust to ensure fairness and equity. Failure to ensure this will automatically lead to reversal and loss of legitimacy on the part of the government. It can also lead to democratic insecurity. Consequently, the philosophy of justice is crucial for a healthy democracy; it gives meaning and content to its institutions and structures. But to what extent can democracy and democratic regimes ensure fairness and justice in a polity? For example is it fair for a majority rule over the minority as democracy preaches? Hos justifiable can one really evaluate some domocratic property? The answers of these questions lie in the nebulons and problematic conceptualisation of the idea of justice. Its flexiblility and the meaning can be subjected to environmental condition. Which again reinforces this problem. The study therefore intends to investigate the problematic conception of justice in relation to democratic project in Nigeria bearing in mind that the social objectives of the state provide that social order is founded on the ideals of freedom, equality and justice.