The problem with vigilante justice is that it follows no legal norms. There is no due process. The accused has little chance of presenting his or her case. There is no impartial procedure for deciding whether a wrong has been committed and, if so, what should be the appropriate punishment. Instead, there is mob rule. And once the mob has been let loose, it becomes difficult to distinguish between genuine cases of wrongdoing, and other accusations motivated by malice, or a desire for revenge, or some other less than fully moral cause.
