Justice (distributive vs corrective)

Distributive justice asks how society should allocate resources, opportunities, taxes, social benefits or public burdens. Corrective justice focuses on restoring balance between parties after a wrong, for example through damages, restitution or invalidation of an unlawful act. Swiss law contains both logics: social insurance, taxation and public services raise distributive questions; tort, unjust enrichment and some contractual remedies reflect corrective reasoning. The distinction is analytical, not absolute. Many legal rules mix both aims, and debates about fairness often depend on which form of justice is emphasised.