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Terrible
state
of
justice
after
beheading
(9)
Terrible state of justice after beheading (9)
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The definition is at the beginning of the clue.
How the clue works
Right, so Terrible is your definition there, pointing to the noun AWFULNESS. For the wordplay, take LAWFULNESS, which is the state of justice or being lawful, and then "beheading" tells you to chop off that first letter, leaving you with AWFULNESS.