I feel that justice and mercy can co exist together. Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, fairness, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics. Mercy refers to the compassionate behavior of the party in power.
For example, in a lawsuit, mercy can be shown when a judge pardons a convict, or when the other party agrees to let the matter rest. However, does this mean that justice is neglected here? The punishment is still there, law has been carried out fairly and equally. It is the warmheartedness of an individual and that has spared the convict of his punishment. The one in power has decided to show mercy in hopes that the convicted would turn over a new leaf.
An example whereby justice coexists with mercy is the case in which a man used acid to disfigure a student's face in Iraq. The law in Iraq states that the man should be sentenced to have an eye gouged out as well as he blinded the student in the process. However, the students mercy let him off at the last minute. Justice still existed as the man was given a punishment but mercy saved his eyesight.
To err is human to forgive is divine. Mercy is an attribute for god himself. God can coexist with justice, and so can mercy.
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