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A society where laws are just and are justly administered will
be a society where people - the majority of people - look up to the
law, sense the sacredness of the law, and so are more encouraged to
follow justice in their personal lives.
A just society is not the automatic result of just laws. But an
unjust society is the inevitable result of unjust laws. Unjust laws bring
justice into disrepute. They lead to contempt for authority. They
undermine the sense of the rights of others, cause mutual distrust
and give an excuse for mutual exploitation.
Unjust tax laws obviously foster tax evasion. Discriminatory
laws against minority groups produce frustration and hatred. Unjust
allocation of public money (which, after all, is the people's money)
spreads the 'let-me-too-see-what-I-can-get' mentality ....
A society will not be healthy if it lacks good laws. But even a
society with good laws can be unhealthy if its citizens lack respect for
law. The harmful effect of bad laws is evident. Good citizens will not
respect bad laws, and are right not to do so. Their lack of respect is a
defence reaction of healthy members of society against a disease
that threatens the whole social body. But that very lack of respect for
bad laws risks turning into a sort of contagion that spreads and
reaches out even to good laws; and even to the whole concept of law.
Good citizens will not respect bad laws; bad citizens will not
respect good laws. That is natural. What is not so natural is when
good citizens are tempted not to respect good laws. But, I repeat, this
is something that can occur. A generalized loss of respect for law can
be a social disease that proves fatal to a society.
The unhealthy reaction of lack of respect for good laws among otherwise good citizens - can come about in different ways. It
can obviously come in the aftermath of a period of bad laws or bad
administration. Even if new and good laws take the place of the bad,
and honest administration that of corrupt, it will probably take some
time before people's confidence in the law and sense of respect for
the law are restored.
Authority, an instrument of oppression?