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.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web After more than two decades of helping the wrongly convicted, San Diego attorney Justin Brooks knows that a miscarriage of justice could happen to anyone. —

John Wilkens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'miscarriage of justice.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1800, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of miscarriage of justice was in 1800

See more words from the same year

Dictionary Entries Near miscarriage of justice

miscarriage

miscarriage of justice

miscarry

See More Nearby Entries

Cite this Entry

Style

“Miscarriage of justice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/miscarriage%20of%20justice. Accessed 1 Apr. 2023.

Copy Citation