A society’s moral foundation cracks the moment the justice system plays favourites

Protests have rocked the United Kingdom following a murder conviction that raised stark questions about police conduct and equal treatment under the law. In December 2025, 18-year-old university student Henry Nowak was fatally stabbed during an altercation with Vickrum Digwa in Southampton.

When police arrived, Digwa claimed he was the victim of a racially motivated attack. Officers handcuffed Nowak in response, even as he pled innocence and said he could not breathe.

After Digwa was convicted of murder, public anger grew when it emerged Nowak had been handcuffed while fatally wounded.

For many Britons, this has become a symbol of alleged “two-tier policing.” But the concern it reflects is broader and shared. Across Western democracies, including Canada, very different communities are asking the same question: Is the law applied consistently, or does it shift depending on who you are and what you believe? Regardless of the answer in any particular case, confidence in the justice system depends on the public believing the law is applied fairly and impartially.

In the UK, the Nowak case lands on top of existing unease. Since Oct. 7, 2023, Britain has seen frequent protests related to the Israel–Gaza conflict. Jewish groups documented demonstrations where slogans they regard as openly hateful or threatening were chanted. Critics say police often justify inaction by appealing to the need to “keep the peace,” yet in other settings, such as individuals praying near abortion clinics or questioning controversial gender ideologies, police intervened more quickly and firmly.

In Canada, Jewish leaders and some social conservatives similarly claim enforcement is tougher on their demonstrations than on others. Not every allegation will stand up to scrutiny, but the pattern is telling: when communities disagreeing on almost everything else converge on the view that the law is not being applied evenly, it signals a deeper problem of confidence in the justice system.

This brings us to an older and more fundamental question: what is justice for? The Noahide Code is a set of seven moral laws that Jewish tradition teaches apply to all humanity. The seventh Noahide commandment places a positive obligation on all societies to establish courts of justice and systems of law.

As Rabbi Moshe Weiner explains in The Divine Code, these are not mere instruments of control. hey are meant to be the moral foundation of societal life, establishing righteousness and ethical conduct for all.

Jewish law sets out a demanding standard of impartiality known as Lo Takiru (literally “do not recognize faces in judgment”). Judges and law enforcement must not show favouritism based on social class or other identity markers. Both parties in a dispute must be treated symmetrically: if one stands, both stand; if one sits, both sit; both must be fully heard. Even subtle signs of leaning toward one side are treated as serious ethical failings.

All of this flows from a simple but profound idea: all people are created equal in dignity and worth. A just system does more than follow procedure; it affirms, case by case, that every person matters equally.

That is why perceived “two-tier” enforcement is so corrosive. Once citizens believe the law protects some but not others, the moral foundation of public life begins to crack. People may still comply with the law out of fear or habit, but respect for the institutions that uphold it weakens dramatically.

The key question, then, is how a decent society responds when justice appears to falter. The answer is not to abandon confidence in the idea of justice, nor to demonize everyone who wears a uniform or sits on the bench. It is to firmly but respectfully demand that the system live up to its own standards: to operate fairly, impartially, and consistently.

Police and justice officials also need to recognize that the appearance of bias can be nearly as damaging as bias itself. When responses to similar situations differ, authorities should explain clearly why. There may be legitimate differences, including crowd size, credible threats and available resources, but if these are never articulated, suspicion fills the gap.

The Nowak case, or any other similar case, must never be used as a pretext to target any ethnic or religious community. The answer to failures in justice is not collective blame; it is to ensure police and courts function as they should.

This is where the Noahide Code offers a clear lens. Establishing just legal systems is not an optional extra for civilized societies; it is a foundation. Without fair courts and impartial enforcement, other moral commitments become hollow. Justice systems are the scaffolding holding society together, but that scaffolding only holds if people trust it.

Joseph Quesnel is the founding director of the Canadian Foundation for Universal Ethics Education. A seasoned journalist and policy analyst with over 15 years of experience, he has provided expert testimony to both the Senate and the House of Commons on public policy. He holds a degree in political science and history from McGill University and a Master of Journalism from Carleton University.