Question

How might Hammurabi justify the harsh punishment

Answer 1

He would say an eye for an eye. Here is one of his rules: If the builder built the roof for the person's house and it fell apart and killed the man. The man who made the roof would die. This is what it is.

Answer 2

if you were in a higher class within the social construct, you could pay $$ to eliminate your punishment. hammurabi justified his punishments by stating " an eye for an eye " meaning that if you committed a crime harsh enough, you were bound to receive the same type of treatment, since it's fair & square.