Upright Meaning
The Justice card can sometimes indicate a literal brush with the legal system: when it is upright this points to things working out fairly, and that both the correct actions and decisions have been made. Although this is worth bearing in mind, it does not necessarily mean that a conclusion has been reached that we are happy about - simply that it is the right one.
This links to the card’s concern with honesty and truth. In a reading, Justice often counsels us to look clearly at the path behind us, and the choices we have made, that have brought us to our current situation. If this is a happy one, then we know that we are receiving our rightful karmic reward. If, however, we are dissatisfied with some circumstance in our lives or feel that we have not been treated fairly, then this card reminds us that if we can learn from the lessons of the road behind us, we can tread a different course going forward.
Reversed Meaning
Justice reversed can appear when we have been treated unfairly by others; it sometimes indicates unjust decisions or outcomes. More frequently, the reversed card suggests that we are not being entirely honest with ourselves in some way; perhaps it is too difficult to see the truth in the part we have played in bringing about our current situation, or the greater significance of the events happening around us.
When Justice is reversed it can also point to a tendency to look for blame elsewhere, rather than taking the opportunity to gain greater self-awareness through an honest appraisal of our actions.
The card, more than anything, symbolizes free will and its effects. Ultimately, it is up to us whether we disregard her advice or use it to tread the path of self-awareness. Justice emphasizes fairness and truth and reminds us through her depiction of scales in each hand, that both our instincts and our logic should balance each other.