IS ALL LAW MORAL / ETHICAL?
Governments have always passed laws. This is their right and their job. Inevitably, some members of the population will agree with these laws and others will not like them. This is true of almost any law you can think of: punishments for crime, taxation, road rules, local council decisions, town planning, schooling regulations and so on.
Some people say that because laws grow over time and are scrutinised by many people – politicians, judges, newspapers, televison etc – that any law must be moral by definition. Others disagree, saying that bad people and bad governments can pass bad laws. They say that law is no different from any other decision – it can be moral or immoral.
What do you think?
Think of examples of laws you approve of and law you don’t approve of, and consider why and how they came about. Do you agree or disagree with the proposal?