miscarriage of justice

noun

: an outcome in a judicial proceeding that is unjust

especially : an error made in a court of law that results in an innocent person being punished or a guilty person being free

His conviction was a miscarriage of justice.

Examples of miscarriage of justice in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Overturn is a podcast focused on miscarriages of justice, produced and hosted by Marnie Duke for The Justice Gap. — Frank Racioppi, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

Having just saved himself from a wrongful conviction in Season 4, Mickey is now determined to set right an enormous miscarriage of justice. — Joe Otterson, Variety, 13 May 2026

The mystery is not who committed a series of murders in 1950s London but whether there had been a gross miscarriage of justice, as told through one tabloid reporter’s attempt to redeem himself by revealing it. — Gabrielle Bellot, Literary Hub, 30 Apr. 2026

Sally Lambert, her two kids, and her reluctant husband, Mark, head out in the dead of night to prevent a miscarriage of justice. — Yvonne Zipp, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1800, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for miscarriage of justice

• injustice

Legal Definition

miscarriage of justice

mis·​car·​riage of justice

ˌmis-ˈkar-ij-, ˈmis-ˌkar-

: an error at trial that probably led to a less favorable outcome for the appealing party