ABSTRACT
This chapter considers how a range of disciplines concerned with justice theories have dealt with justice and fairness. The aim is to provide a broad overview of theories of justice and to describe specific ideas and constructs of justice that could be relevant in natural resource sharing. While much has been written about justice, and the topic receives a good deal of attention in a variety of disciplines, there are some key themes of particular interest in the context of resource sharing. The chapter starts with some definitions of justice and how these relate to different aspects of society. It then explores justice in the way people are treated; justice in decision-making processes; and justice in decisions about sharing. This is followed by a section on why people care about justice, motivations for justice and how people become engaged in matters of justice. The discussion then considers distinctions between justice and injustice, and between justice and fairness, followed by thoughts about why theories of justice are important. Finally, the chapter summarises several key justice themes that could be useful in developing an understanding of fairness and justice in environmental decision making.
