None of the authority figures in The Crucible, with the notable exception of Reverend Hale, is in the slightest bit interested in securing justice. All of them are personally invested in some way, shape, or form, with keeping the witch-craze going, even if it means innocent people being sent to the gallows.
Judge Danforth is on something of a power trip. He enjoys the authority, both legal and spiritual, that the trials have given him, and he's not about to give any of that up for a little thing like justice. The Putnams crave power too. They've lost so much power over their lives due to the deaths of almost all their children that the witch-trials present them with an opportunity to experience some measure of control.
Much the same could be said of Abigail Williams. As a young woman with a bad reputation in a small Puritan town she's about as powerless as it's possible to get. That is until she starts spreading malicious gossip and making false accusations of witchcraft. For then she's placed in a position of power for the very first time. Like Judge Danforth, Abby enjoys her new-found power, enjoys using it to settle scores against those who've wronged her. One word from those lying lips of hers is enough to get someone into serious trouble. But Abby doesn't care. Justice means nothing to her. As far as she's concerned, she was the victim of an injustice after being dumped by John Proctor and subsequently expelled from his household by his wife Elizabeth, and so she thinks that the Proctors deserve some serious payback. Justice be damned.
The citizens of Salem value and respect authority more than they cherish justice, which is one reason why the witch trials continue and eventually destabilize the entire community. Salem's government is considered a theocracy, where the religious leaders virtually have unchecked authority because they represent and enact God's orders. Therefore, the devout Christian citizens do not question Salem's authority figures despite the numerous arrests and unfounded convictions of innocent people. As fervent, zealous followers, the citizens of Salem passively accept the Court's rulings without challenging Deputy Governor Danforth or Judge Hathorne. When citizens like Giles Corey or John Proctor challenge Salem's authority figures, they are immediately arrested. The citizens not only respect the Court's decisions but they do not come to Proctor or Giles Corey's aid before they are unjustly executed. One could argue that the religious makeup of the community and their reverence for authority figures prevent them recognizing and challenging the prevalent injustice taking place. They passively watch as Abigail Williams and her followers make false accusations without protest and numerous citizens are wrongly convicted of crimes they did not commit.
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