The concept of a society without laws is not alien to us. We see it in tv shows, movies, books, music, and many more. The idea is alluring, or sometimes dreadful, but what they all have in common is the curiosity of how it would be to live somewhere where there simply are not any laws.
While the thought may be a good mental exercise, a society without any set of rules is on a set path to downfall. Throughout history, before our most current models of economy and society, people have always been following a set of rules. The famous “eye for an eye” legal code written by the king of the Old Babylonian Empire (circa 1810 to 1750 before Christ) demonstrates the intrinsic connection between law and humanity that has lasted for thousands of years. This legal code introduced the concept of literal reciprocity, and over time it has evolved significantly to become an important example of the role of law in society.
But the law evolved. We passed by generations and generations of empires, kingdoms, countries and different backgrounds for the development of law until we reach what we have today—always trying to bring justice towards a wrong and with time, we started to bring equity and fairness.
But What is Law? And Why Do We Need It?
The simplest way to explain what law is to someone is to say it is a set of rules of conduct to protect everyone’s rights.
Some people when they hear about the law might immediately think about the harshest ones, such as the consequences of murder or theft. But in truth, the law exists on a day-to-day basis in ways that we normally forget. Transit laws, for example, are in place so public and private transit can operate smoothly and without accidents. Marriage laws so the couple’s rights are protected. Employment laws so workers can have a safe workspace and bring equity to minority groups.
Public and Private Law
Divided into two groups—private and public law—the ultimate goal is to guarantee people’s safety, freedom, and rights. Public law defines rules in the relationship between individuals and society, this includes criminal law, constitutional law, and administrative law. Taking items from a store without paying for them is an act of theft that falls under public law. This is because it impacts society’s ability, including other customers, to access the product. In other words, by taking an item that you haven’t paid for, you’re affecting the availability of that item to others. If you reverse your car onto someone else’s you are affecting their ability to enjoy their property and would fall into private law. Private law is the set of rules that deals with the relationship between individuals—also called civil law.
Law is not perfect and is constantly changing and evolving, but it is pivotal to understand its importance for order in society, especially in larger cities such as Calgary. The goal is, and should always be, to bring equity and justice for people so they can live in peace and without fear.
When a judge is doing their job, they must follow the law despite their personal beliefs. The rules of a religious organization will not overpower a country’s law due to the separation of the State from religious groups.
Law also guarantees a few rights. In Canada, we have several Acts that serve as legally binding documents. These Acts can go from guaranteeing equity and fairness to the workplace to guaranteeing universal health care to all.
How Would Life Be Without It?
It remains uncertain how life and society would respond to a lack of enforceable rules, but one thing is clear: it would result in significant upheaval and a drastic departure from what we are accustomed to.
Without an enforceable set of rules of how people should conduct themselves in society to not infringe on other’s rights, it would be completely unpredictable as to what people with ill intent would do to those who only genuinely want to live in peace.
This is not to mention less direct infringements; imagine the chaos in traffic without traffic laws to control the flow of cars or how a multi-million-dollar company could disregard your employment rights in favour of their profit.
The chaos of a lawless society would become unmanageable and the survival of the fittest would be the new rule. It is safe to say that society as we know it would crumble.
Should We Leave Things as They Are?
The law is slowly evolving. Although our current legal code has evolved significantly from Hammurabi’s “an eye for an eye” legal code in ancient Babylonia, there is still much work to be done. The mutating aspect of law can be an incredible weapon towards a better world.
With time, new research surfaces and we learn and grow more both as individuals and as a society, and so does the law. It changes and mutates to better serve its purpose and to bring more equity, more justice, and more fairness in all situations and areas of the law.
It is our obligation as a society to evolve and enhance things around us to be more sustainable and optimized to bring more quality of life to others around us. Lawyers in Calgary In order to improve the law and make it better for everyone, legal professionals work within their capacity to enhance the areas of law they have expertise in. They create precedents for situations that may arise in the future, allowing for the reproducibility of effective legal solutions.
