what ARE LAWS Laws are rules that are put in place by a country’s government Every country has its own set of laws They apply to everyone equally and everyone must follow them Laws exist to ensure that communities are safe positive places to live They are meant to be moral and fair so that people in communities are treated equally and have the same opportunities Laws should help people in a country meet their needs such as accessing education or housing A person who does not follow the law is committing a crime For most crimes there is a punishment from being sent to prison to paying a fine and completing community service When laws are followed they serve some of the following purposes A COUNTRY’S GOVERNMENT IS USUALLY ABLE TO CHANGE LAWS REMOVE OLD LAWS AND CREATE NEW LAWS BASED ON THE CHANGING NEEDS OF CITIZENS 4
THE PURPOSES OF LAWS Laws help stop people from doing immoral things by clearly explaining the actions that are wrong The law calls these actions illegal For example laws in most countries say that stealing is illegal Laws also allow people to be legally stopped from breaking the law which is usually done by the police Laws provide a way for people to settle arguments peacefully If there were no laws there would be no way to fairly identify and punish wrongdoings Under most legal systems people go to court to settle disputes allowing a judge to make legal decisions Laws help make a community work together When everyone in a community follows laws they make their community a better place to live For example laws that stop people from throwing garbage into rivers lakes or onto the street help protect nature and keep a community clean Laws set out fair punishments for crimes and ensure that these punishments are carried out Setting out and enforcing fair punishments helps communities be safer and is meant to allow community members to be treated with equality 5
WHAT IS JUSTICE The idea of justice is closely related to fairness morality and equality When people talk about justice they often refer to someone getting the punishment they deserved after doing something morally or legally wrong A common example of this kind of justice is someone being sent to prison after stealing money This is an example of punishment when someone does something legally wrong Justice in the form of punishment is also common when people do things considered morally wrong An example of this kind of justice is if a school bully is caught by a teacher and given detention They are being punished for their immoral actions When a certain event or action is seen as justice it is said to be just When an event or action isn’t seen as justice it is referred to as unjust For example if the bully at school talked their way out of detention you might call that event unjust 6 Weighing scales are often used as a symbol of justice They show how opinions and facts need to be compared and carefully thought about before justice can be achieved
Though most people connect ideas of justice with punishment justice often refers to much more than that It can mean that someone who is innocent or does good things receives the help or positive treatment they deserve Sometimes justice means that a person who has been hurt was helped by others If someone’s home was broken into and robbed justice could mean that their neighborhood comes together to raise money for them to replace the things they lost Charities that help people in need are usually considered to do just work Justice can also mean that goods services and opportunities are shared equally within a community For example food stamps mean that struggling members of a community can buy the food they need Many people believe this is just Rewarding people who do good things and work hard can also be considered an example of justice If a person worked very hard at their job for a long time you could say that giving them a promotion would be the just thing to do because they deserve to be rewarded for their hard work 7
