From shaphat (to judge), mishpat encompasses justice, judgment, rights, and proper order. Over 420 occurrences. It refers to both the process of rendering judgment and the content of just decisions — what each person is rightfully owed.
Biblical justice has a deliberate bias toward the vulnerable. The prophets thunder against those who deny mishpat to widows, orphans, and immigrants. God Himself ensures mishpat for the oppressed. The word pairs frequently with tsedaqah (righteousness) describing the social order God intends.
Amos 5:24 was famously quoted by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. because it captures justice as an unstoppable, life-giving force. Mishpat and tsedaqah form a "hendiadys" — two words expressing one concept: restorative justice.