Law And Society Essay, Research Paper

Law and Society

The function of law in a society is more or less universal. It acts as a deterrent to control the evil and treacherous behavior of humans, to maintain discipline and imposes restrictions on some freedom. We live in a chaotic and uncertain world. Without an orderly environment based on and backed by law, the normal activities of life would be lacerated with chaos. Law is a social norm, the infraction of which is sanctioned in treat or in fact by the application of physical force or by a party possessing the socially recognized privilege or so acting. It provides a society with order and predictability, resolving disputes, protecting individuals and property, providing for the general welfare and protecting individual liberties.

Law and the predictability it provides cannot guarantee us a totally safe world, but it can create a climate in which people believe it is worthwhile to produce, venture fort, and to live for the morrow. It prevents the state of nature, which would be total anarchy had there been no laws. Societies today are more complex and interacting. Maintaining good order and discipline have far reaching implications on a society?s prosperity. Laws are in acted daily through out different societies for the protection and security of individuals, property, businesses and states. It permits an orderly, peaceful process for dispute resolution and provides us with the programs to establish and enable corporately, what would be impossible, or at least prohibitive, to do as individuals.

Laws should be designed to protect the individual personal and civil rights against those forces, which would curtail or restrict them. Some examples of this are freedom of speech, religion, the press, the right to a fair trail and the freedom from cruel and unusual punishment.

In the United States the respect for the law is paramount and disobedience to the law is punished. The Constitution, acts of Legislative bodies, orders of Rulings of Political Executives, Judicial Decisions and Decisions of Quasi-Legislative and Quasi-Judicial Bodies enact laws in the United States. Many societies have law and rules to prevent lawlessness and anarchy. With out it, most societies would succumb to disorder.