Law
info
Law is
the set of enforced rules under which a society is governed. Law is
one of the most basic social institutions--and one of the most
necessary. No society could exist if all people did just as they
pleased, without regard for the rights of others. Nor could a society
exist if its members did not recognize that they also have certain
obligations toward one another. The law thus establishes the rules
that define a person's rights and obligations. The law also sets
penalties for people who violate these rules, and it states how
government shall enforce the rules and penalties. However, the laws
enforced by government can be changed. In fact, laws frequently are
changed to reflect changes in a society's needs and attitudes.
In most societies, various government bodies, especially police
agencies and courts, see that the laws are obeyed. Because a person
can be penalized for disobeying the law, most people agree that laws
should be just. Justice is a moral standard that applies to all human
conduct. The laws enforced by government have usually had a strong
moral element, and so justice has generally been one of the law's
guiding principles. But governments can, and sometimes do, enforce
laws that many people believe to be unjust. If this belief becomes
widespread, people may lose respect for the law and may even disobey
it. But in democratic societies, the law itself provides ways to amend
or abolish unjust laws.
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