Punishment
The enforcement arm of Justice: the application of retribution or restitution as directed by the victim or their proxy. Only for real harms with real victims; its purpose is to close a moral debt, not to control. Punishment is the Golden Rule applied -- mirroring back what was done to restore balance, not breaking fairness but enforcing it.
Frequently asked
Isn't punishment just revenge?
Punishment is directed by the victim (or their proxy) to close a specific moral debt, limited by proportion: it may not exceed the harm caused. Revenge is driven by emotion and has no such limit. Punishment restores balance; revenge creates new victims. The distinction is the presence of a real victim, a measurable harm, and a ceiling that matches the wrong.