The Four Main Functions of Law
A law refers to several rules and regulations that have been that a public authority, for example a state, imposes on its people. The main aim of a law is to regulate how the people conduct themselves. The law is interpreted by the judicial system. Law offenders are judged and sentenced using the justice system. There are very many laws in any given state. These laws perform different kinds of functions. They ensure that citizens behave well and state operations run smoothly.
The main function of law is to maintain peace, law and order. Peace is very important for any nation’s development. Countries set laws that will ensure that citizens coexist peacefully. The law prohibits violent conduct and encourages orderly, peaceful and obedient conduct. The people who break this law, for example, terrorists, have to be tried in a court of law. Such people will be charged with disrupting peace.
The other function of law is the maintain equality and encourage orderly change. In any given country, all citizens are said to be equal before the law. The law ensures that people are treated equally by punishing those who break it. The law advocates for equal rights for every citizen as well. People, who break the law, even if they are senior government officials, have to face the law. For example, former IMF boss, Dominic Strauss-Kahn had to face court trial on allegations of rape. He had to resign from his post at the IMF.
The law can be used in dispute resolution and encourage social justice. In any place, there are likely to be conflicts. Some party could have offended another. The law is used in such cases to resolve the conflict. The law outlines the relevant procedures used to resolve conflicts. For example, if two companies are in conflict over a trade mark, the conflict will be resolved in court using the existing law.
The law specifies the duties of government and other recognized bodies/organizations. In this scenario, the duties of these bodies are outlined, and the limits of these duties. There are also things that the law does not permit these bodies to do. For example, the state governments in America have no authority to borrow loans from international bodies or countries. The states can also not influence the value of the US dollar. These are duties of the federal government.
References
Mallor, J. P. (2001). Business law and the regulatory environment: concepts and cases (11 revised ed.). New York: Irwin/McGraw-Hill.
Mallor, J. P., Barnes, A. J., Bowers, L. T., & Langvardt, A. W. (2005). Business Law: The Ethical, Global, and E-Commerce Environment (13 ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
