Skip to main content

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Advanced Search
Justice Delayed, Justice Denied by Raymond Kaskey
Photo CreditPhoto courtesy of McKay Lodge Fine Arts Conservation Laboratory, Inc.
Justice Delayed, Justice Denied
Photo CreditPhoto courtesy of McKay Lodge Fine Arts Conservation Laboratory, Inc.

Justice Delayed, Justice Denied

Artist
Year1995
Classification sculpture
Medium cast bronze
Dimensions12'6" h: pedestal 4'
Credits Commissioned through the Art in Architecture Program
Fine Arts Collection
U.S. General Services Administration
Location
  • This dramatic bronze figure projects out from the building and stands with one foot resting on a sphere, the other thrust back towards the building.  The figure of Justice is blindfolded and holds scales in each hand, traditional attributes of impartiality; its body is the balance for the scales.  This classic image of Justice is counter-poised with the allegorical figures of the tortoise and the hare that encompass the arch over the entrance.  The tortoise with a billowing sail on its back was the heraldic device of Cosimo de Medici whose motto was "Festina Lente," "Make haste slowly," slow but sure.  In the sculpture, Justice with her billowing draperies, in lieu of the sail, is placed above the tortoise that rests at the base of the pedestal to emphasize the concept of deliberation in the administration of justice.  This same message is conveyed by the reference of the fable of the tortoise and the hare, whose moral is "Slow and steady wins the race."  To signify movement, the hare's leap is broken into four frames in bas-relief across the arch below the balcony.  The pedestal that forms the base of the sculpture is inscribed with the epigram "Justice Delayed, Justice Denied." This statement evoked tension with the message of slower deliberation symbolized by the tortoise and the hare; that in order to provide protection to the rights of individuals, the process of justice requires expedition as well as deliberation.




    The artwork is meant to stimulate thought about the meaning of justice, and enrich and deepen the experience of those who enter the Courthouse and view the building.