The Electronic Bias for "Justicia Seeing"

But there is another, lesser known icon of justice, "Justicia Seeing." ¹⁹³ Unlike her sister, she prefers a perspective of the world's fullness. She subscribes to the "seeing is believing" principle, and appreciates that truth may be distorted when the image of reality is excluded from her view. Understandably, Justicia Seeing would be skeptical of any restraint on her vision. This same notion of justice is at work in the courtroom when a judge admits the paratext.

Finally, there is yet another icon of justice, "Justicia Peeking." ¹⁹⁴ The creation of cartoonists, the third sister shares attributes of the other two but refuses to accept fully the convictions of either. She will not put her whole faith in the seeing is believing principle, yet she will not deny its force. Metaphorically, she is the middle child. In the dawn of the scribal age of law, Justicia Peeking would have looked at writing ever so tentatively; similarly, in the contemporary age of print, she only peeks at the paratext. It is no coincidence that this image of justice is viewed as comic. For few treat seriously a vision of justice that does not have the courage of its convictions.

We learn from these allegorical figures that we live in a legal world that is largely "either­or": either the extreme of the printed text or the extreme of the paratext dominates. The biases of both do not allow for much middle ground. The print mindset cherishes its blindfold, while the electronic mindset wants to tear it off.