The law is important for a
society for it serves as a norm of conduct for citizens. It was also made to
provide for proper guidelines and order upon the behaviour for all citizens and
to sustain the equity on the three branches of the government.
The law is important because it keeps the society running. Without law there
would be chaos and it would be survival of the fittest and every-man for
himself. Not an ideal lifestyle for most part!
The law is important because it acts as a guideline as to what is accepted in
society. Without it there would be conflicts between social groups and
communities. It is pivotal that we follow them. The law allows for easy adoption
to changes that occur in the society. As time changes so will a law. Laws are
constantly being amended when needed. People may not agree with a certain law
but that is just the way society works.
Laws are generally based on common sense, e.g., Don't drive drunk, respect
others and their belongings and the like. Generally if all people at all times
followed common sense, laws would not be necessary. Other laws are used to
regulate things such as trade, immigration and sales.
We all know that the law is very important in the society. It is a must in order
for a society to maintain peace and remain problem-free. Law is man-made,
therefore it is in us if we will follow it or not. If we do not follow the law,
it doesn't mean we will die, so nature has nothing to do with the laws of man.
The law can give protection to the victims and will punish those who have done
unlawful actions. We do not have any option, where we can choose from, if we
disobey, then, we have to face the consequences. If a society won’t have a
system of law on it that will control how the people handle their lives, then
there would not be a society to live in. People will be able to make decisions
that will solely be based on their principles, then they would be able to commit
crimes if they want to, steal, murder, damage, bully, rape, trespass, and even
terrorize whatever or whoever or whenever they want to, and nothing would be
done about it at all.
Therefore, it will be a disaster if people in a society execute actions which
solely based on their principles. If there is no law, nothing will stop the
people from doing things that they wan. With that, they will be free to do
anything in revenge. It will be vice versa for they know that they could totally
get away into anything they do, even if it is bad and unlawful.
Eventually, the society will be full of crime, murders and illegal actions.
Should there be no rules in a society, then even a simple waste disposal process
will be a big problem that could affect the whole world. If not done properly,
it may lead to diseases that can kill the human race. The supply of water could
also be affected if there were no rules. No one will work to maintain its
cleanliness since they may turn into doing things that may easily pay them more
even though it is not right at all. No one will cure us when we are ill and help
us in times of trouble. In the end, each of us will find our own ways to live
and survive. Simply put, it’ll be like a war zone.
This merely shows how important it is to have a system of law in a society to
regulate good relationship with each other, even for those with conflicting
interests. This is the only procedure that could ensure that the human rights
are respected. If we won’t have laws, our society would not be able to function
effectively. Crimes will become such an everyday occurrence that children will
grow up and will then find it normal, which is not desirable for our future
generations. That is why the law is very important, since it ensures the safety
of our future generations.
Law is a form of Social Science. Society and law are closely related to each
other. Law tells the nature to live the social life and this also increases with
the economic, scientific and technological progress. Law also changes with
social changes and plays an important role in the fulfilment of social needs.
So for the fulfilment of social need, there is a provision by constitutional
amendment and this is the responsibility of judiciary that the law which
violates the constitutional provisions, public interests and fundamental rights
should be declared void.
Legal reforms have been at the centre of the agenda for strategic gender justice
in India. Uniform Civil Code is merged in the Article 44 by the Indian
Constitution as a result of social change. It signifies a uniform code of
conduct without discriminating over caste, religion, parentage, community and
cultural recognition for all citizens of country and also Article 21 regarding
‘Protection of life and personal liberty’ as a result of social change.
In this article new prison jurisprudence, Right to Speedy Trial, Right to Free
Legal Service, Right to Human Dignity, Right against Torture etc. have been made
some of the components of the fundamental rights. Law is a medium through which
social objects can be achieved. So, change of law is must with social changes,
otherwise law will be of no value.
Law is rooted in social institutions and in socio-economic network. These social
factors influence the course of law or the direction of legal change. This is
the outcome of personal and social interactions which are variable and often
unpredictable. At the same time, law may itself change norms in various ways.
For example, in free India, legal abolition of untouchability is an attempt to
change a long-standing social norm. Yet it has not succeeded much because
inadequate social support. Thus there is a reciprocal relationship between law
and society. The term ‘social change’ is also used to indicate the changes that
take place in human interactions and inter-relations.
Society is a ‘web-relationship’ and social change obviously means a change in
the system of social relationship where a social relationship is understood in
terms of social processes and social interactions and social organizations.
Thus, the term, ‘social change’ is used to indicate desirable variations in
social institution, social processes and social organization. It includes
alterations in the structure and functions of the society. Closer analysis of
the role of law vis-à-vis social change leads us to distinguish between the
direct and the indirect aspects of the role of law.
1. Law plays an important indirect role in regard to social change by shaping a
direct impact on society. For example: A law setting up a compulsory educational
system.
2. On the other hand, law interacts in many cases indirectly with basic social
institutions in a manner constituting a direct relationship between law and
social change. For example, a law designed to prohibit polygamy.
Law plays an agent of modernization and social change. It is also an indicator
of the nature of societal complexity and its attendant problems of integration.
Further, the reinforcement of our belief in the age-old panchayat system, the
abolition of the abhor able practices of untouchability, child marriage, sati,
dowry etc are typical illustrations of social change being brought about in the
country trough laws.
Law is an effective medium or agency, instrumental in bringing about social
change in the country or in any region in particular. Therefore, we rejuvenate
our belief that law has been pivotal in introducing changes in the societal
structure and relationships and continues to be so.
Law certainly has acted as a catalyst in the process of social transformation of
people wherein the dilution of caste inequalities, protective measures for the
weak and vulnerable sections, providing for the dignified existence of those
living under unwholesome conditions etc. are the illustrious examples in this
regard. Social change involves an alteration of society; its economic structure,
values and beliefs, and its economic, political and social dimensions also
undergo modification. However, social change does not affect all aspects of
society in the same manner.
While much of social change is brought about by material changes such as
technology, new patterns of production, etc., other conditions are also
necessary. For example, as we have discussed it before, legal prohibition of
untouchability in free India has not succeeded because of inadequate social
support.
Nonetheless, when law cannot bring about change without social support, it still
can create certain preconditions for social change. Moreover, after
independence, the Constitution of India provided far-reaching guidelines for
change. Its directive principle suggested a blueprint for a new nation. The
de-recognition of the caste system, equality before the law and equal
opportunities for all in economic, political and social spheres were some of the
high points of the Indian Constitution.
The Relationship between Law and Society:
Theorists have traditionally maintained that there are certain broad views on
the substantive criminal law. One set of such constraints concerns the sorts of
behaviour that may legitimately be prohibited. Is it proper, for example, to
criminalize a certain kind of action on the grounds that most people in one’s
society regard it as immoral? The other set of constraints which concerns what
is needed in order to establish criminal responsibility that is liability,
independently of the content of the particular statute whose violation is in
question.
Legal system reflects all the energy of life within in any society. Law has the
complex vitality of a living organism. We can say that law is a social science
characterized by movement and adaptation. Rules are neither created nor applied
in a vacuum, on the other hand they created and used time and again for a
purpose. Rules are intended to move us in a certain direction that we assume is
good, or prohibit movement in direction that we believe is bad.
The social rules are made by the members of the society. Disobedience of the
social rules is followed by punishment of social disapproval. There is no
positive penalty associated with the violation of rules except excommunication
or ostracism. On the other hand, law is enforced by the state. The objective of
law is to bring order in the society so the members of society can progress and
develop with some sort of security regarding the future.
The state makes laws. Disobedience of state laws invites penalty, which is
enforced by the government by the power of the state. What is not enforceable is
not Law.
Conclusion
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social
institutions to govern behaviour, wherever possible. It shapes politics,
economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of
relations between people.
Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus ticket to trading on
derivatives markets. Property law defines rights and obligations related to the
transfer and title of personal and real property. Trust law applies to assets
held for investment and financial security, while tort law allows claims for
compensation if a person's rights or property are harmed.
If the harm is criminalized in legislation, criminal law offers means by which
the state can prosecute the perpetrator. Constitutional law provides a framework
for the creation of law, the protection of human rights and the election of
political representatives.
Administrative law is used to review the decisions of government agencies, while
international law governs affairs between sovereign states in activities ranging
from trade to environmental regulation or military action. The legal response to
a given social or technological problem is therefore in itself a major social
action which may aggravate a given problem or alleviate and help to solve it.