Spirit

The English word spirit, from Latin spiritus "breath", has many different meanings and connotations, most of them relating to a non-corporeal substance contrasted with the material body. It can also refer to a "subtle" as opposed to "gross" material substance, as in the famous last paragraph of Sir Isaac Newton's Principia Mathematica.

The word spirit is often used metaphysically to refer to the consciousness or personality. The notions of a person's spirit and soul often also overlap, as both contrast with body and both are believed to survive bodily death in some religions, and "spirit" can also have the sense of "ghost", i.e. a manifestation of the spirit of a deceased person.

The term may also refer to any incorporeal or immaterial being, such as demons or deities. In the Bible, "the Spirit" (with a capital "S"), specifically denotes the Holy Spirit.

Etymology

The English word spirit comes from the Latin spiritus, meaning "breath", but also "spirit, soul, courage, vigor", ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European *(s)peis. It is distinguished from Latin anima, "soul" (which nonetheless also derives from an Indo-European root meaning "to breathe", earliest form *h₂enh₁- ). In Greek, this distinction exists between pneuma (πνεῦμα), "breath, motile air, spirit," and psykhē (ψυχή), "soul" (even though the latter term, ψῡχή = psykhē/psūkhē, is also from an Indo-European root meaning "to breathe": *bhes-, zero grade *bhs- devoicing in proto-Greek to *phs-, resulting in historical-period Greek ps- in psūkhein, "to breathe", whence psūkhē, "spirit", "soul").

Court

A court is a tribunal, often as governmental institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law. In both common law and civil law legal systems, courts are the central means for dispute resolution, and it is generally understood that all persons have an ability to bring their claims before a court. Similarly, the rights of those accused of a crime include the right to present a defense before a court.

The system of courts that interprets and applies the law is collectively known as the judiciary. The place where a court sits is known as a venue. The room where court proceedings occur is known as a courtroom, and the building as a courthouse; court facilities range from simple and very small facilities in rural communities to large buildings in cities.

The practical authority given to the court is known as its jurisdiction (Latin jus dicere) – the court's power to decide certain kinds of questions or petitions put to it. According to William Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England, a court is constituted by a minimum of three parties: the actor or plaintiff, who complains of an injury done; the reus or defendant, who is called upon to make satisfaction for it, and the judex or judicial power, which is to examine the truth of the fact, to determine the law arising upon that fact, and, if any injury appears to have been done, to ascertain and by its officers to apply a legal remedy. It is also usual in the superior courts to have barristers, and attorneys or counsel, as assistants, though, often, courts consist of additional barristers, bailiffs, reporters, and perhaps a jury.

Spirit of Justice

Spirit of Justice is a cast aluminum statue depicting Lady Justice that stands on display along with its male counterpart Majesty of Justice in the Great Hall of the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building in Washington, D.C., the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Justice. The statue is of a woman wearing a toga-like dress with one breast revealed and arms raised and measures 12.5 feet (3.8 meters).

History

The statue was commissioned in 1933 at a cost of $7275, and was created by C. Paul Jennewein, who created a total of 57 sculptural elements for the building. Like most of the artwork and fixtures in the building, it is in an Art Deco style. Unlike many representations of Lady Justice, Spirit of Justice wears no blindfold to symbolize blind justice.

The male statue, Majesty of Justice, is bare-chested above the waist.

The entrance to the Rayburn House Office Building also features a sculpture entitled The Majesty of the Law.

Spirit of Justice and the Attorneys General

Ace Attorney

Ace Attorney, also known as Phoenix Wright and in Japan as Gyakuten Saiban (逆転裁判, lit. "Turnabout Trial"), is a series of visual novel legal thriller adventure video games, created by Shu Takumi and developed and published by Capcom, in which players assume the role of a defense attorney in a fictional courtroom setting, which is based on the Japanese legal system, to strive to find their clients "not guilty" using investigation, evidence, and cross-examination to prove their case. The series primarily focuses on the protagonist, Phoenix Wright, a passionate lawyer who seeks out the truth and defends his clients to the end, with later games sometimes featuring other protagonists.

The first three games in the series, originally released exclusively in Japan between 2001 and 2004 for the Game Boy Advance, were ported to the Nintendo DS, taking advantage of features such as touchscreen control, and localized into other regions. These games have also been ported to other formats, such as PC, WiiWare, and iOS. Subsequent titles were developed for the Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS systems. To date, there have been five main games in the series, with a sixth game currently in development, as well as the prequel Dai Gyakuten Saiban: Naruhodō Ryūnosuke no Bōken, two Investigations spin-off games and a cross-over title, Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, known in Japan as Gyakuten Saiban (逆転裁判, lit. "Turnabout Trial"), is a visual novel adventure video game developed by Capcom. It was originally released for the Game Boy Advance in 2001 in Japan, and has since been ported to multiple platforms. The Nintendo DS version, titled Gyakuten Saiban Yomigaeru Gyakuten in Japan, was released in 2005 in Japan and North America, and in 2006 in Europe, and includes an English language option. The game is the first entry in the Ace Attorney series, and has received several sequels and spin-offs.

The story follows Phoenix Wright, a rookie defense attorney who attempts to get his clients declared "not guilty". Among other characters are Phoenix's boss, Mia Fey; his assistant and Mia's sister, Maya; and prosecutor Miles Edgeworth. The player controls Phoenix through two types of sections: investigations and courtroom trials. During investigations, they gather information and evidence, and during trials, they cross-examine witnesses and answer questions from the judge, the prosecutor, and the witnesses. The story is split into five cases, the fifth being introduced in the Nintendo DS version and not available in the original Game Boy Advance version.