Justice delayed is justice denied.

The aphorism argues that the value of justice depends on timeliness: when courts or authorities postpone decisions, the harm to victims continues, evidence decays, and remedies lose practical force. Delay can function as a quiet form of refusal—especially for the poor or politically weak—because prolonged proceedings increase costs and pressure parties to abandon claims. The line has become a staple of legal and political rhetoric urging efficient courts, prompt trials, and administrative responsiveness. Although often linked to famous statesmen, its enduring significance lies less in authorship than in its concise expression of a core rule-of-law principle: rights require effective, not merely theoretical, enforcement.