From the ‘sword’ to dialogue: towards a ‘dialectic’ basis for penal mediation

Traditional iconography represents Justice as a female figure, at times blindfolded, holding scales in her left hand and a sword in her right (Schild 1988) (see Figure 11.1). Although the allegoric personification of Justice is often also associated with other elements (the sceptre, the lictor’s fasces, cornucopias, later with the orb and angels’ wings) these never become constant symbols as do the scales and the sword (Kissel 1984: 104; Jacob 1994).