IN our government those tasks were enumerated and limited and people (society) back then did not permit govt to do more than it was allowed.
One of the limited tasks is to administer justice via a system of laws applied fairly and accurately. Courts, jails, legitimate trials, executions. This is the context that I offer the comments in.
So in that context, you literally mean government - but say "society" while taking for granted that government is the correct part of society for that function. As I say, I quibble only in the sense that others make that same assumption about tasks which are properly not delegated exclusively to the government.
I said what I said. It doesn’t require anyone to interpret it, it is straightforward.