Once a society has determined
that it wants to be governed by the rule of law, then each
individual in that society has a responsibility to obey
those laws. If the laws are fair, then they must be obeyed.
Unjust laws must be resisted through whatever means are
necessary, including disobeying those same laws until they
are repealed.
Firstly, for any society
that truly wants to be civilized, laws must be enacted that
at the very least give its citizens a guideline on the behavior
that is expected of them. Without the rule of law, anarchy
would likely reign supreme and ultimately result in the
destruction of that particular society. Laws are usually
enacted based on the values, beliefs and morals of the general
populace. Without such laws, individuals would be tempted
to give in to some of the more animalistic desires innate
within the human soul, with the end result being at best
a disorganized society and at worst the annihilation of
the population.
Secondly, those just laws
that have been enacted (which will hopefully be all or at
the very least, the majority of them) must be faithfully
obeyed in order for a society to move forward. Because most
laws are the codification of the society’s values, beliefs
and morals, they are generally based on the notion of justice
and fair play. As long as the laws treat everyone equally,
the population should dutifully obey them. It is equally
important that those who disobey those laws are punished
fairly and in proportion to their crime. Without a systematic
distribution of justice, laws are worth less than the paper
that they are written on. Corruption in the legal system
is also a distinct danger, regardless of whether the laws
that have been enacted are just or unjust. If individuals
are allowed to buy themselves out of trouble, the entire
legal system will break down, again resulting in anarchy.
As a fundamental part of a civilized society, just laws
must be obeyed to the fullest extent possible.
Furthermore, of equal importance
is the fact that unjust laws must be fought against through
whatever means are necessary. The very foundation of a legal
system is that it is based on a notion of justice, and that
means justice for all, not just the chosen few. Unfair or
unreasonable laws can cause a society to lose respect for
all laws, regardless of whether they are just or unjust.
In these cases, civil disobedience may be necessary in order
to bring attention to the situation. Perhaps the politicians
or government officials were unaware of the unjustness of
the law when it was written. It could be that the officials
did not foresee that the law would have a disparate impact
on certain individuals in a society. But regardless of the
reason, an unjust law must not go unopposed. One unjust
law can easily lead to another; therefore it is incumbent
upon all individuals in a society to fight such inadequacies
with all of their might.
In summary, a legal system
should serve the society as a guideline for the behavior
that is expected of its citizens. Should the leaders of
that society enact any laws that are unfair or unreasonable,
it is the duty of all citizens to ensure that it is changed
or repealed through whatever means are necessary. Laws should
be of the people, by the people and for the people, and
citizens must take a proactive role in ensuring that they
truly give justice for all.
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words)
