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Essay / The Importance of the Rule of Law in Western Governments
A law can be defined as a system of rules that are “applied to govern behavior”. The laws have been around for hundreds of years and without them the United States and other countries would be in chaos. Changes are constantly being made to improve current laws and new laws are beginning to appear. The rule of law plays an important role in Western democracies. That being said, there are also parts of the world where the rule of man is more evident than the rule of law. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Laws do not discriminate, meaning that whatever the law is, it applies to everyone. They must be clear and public. The rule of law states that laws must be enforced and fair, which is often questionable. For these laws to be effective, justice must be served by a group of ethical and good moral individuals. Finally, what people sometimes don't realize is that laws must not only be obeyed by the civilians of that district, but also by government officials. Several factors must be present for the law to be one hundred percent effective. In addition to hiring people of good character to serve justice, we must ensure that these people are ethically aware and behave ethically. This implies an absence of corruption. Officers should be required to undergo ethics training and encourage the reporting of misconduct. Corruption is one of the hot topics in the media and the police today. Under the law, it is imperative that civilians know their rights. By not informing a civilian of their rights at the time of arrest, the entire matter virtually goes out the window. Miranda rights get their infamous name from the case Miranda v. Arizona, where the rights were not read at the time of arrest. As his rights were not read, his constitutional rights were found to have been violated. For this reason, it is one of the things that should not be forgotten at the time of arrest and it is something that is practiced on a daily basis. Additionally, laws must be practiced frequently to be effective. Rules and regulations must be enforced regularly to maintain order and security in society. At the same time, if laws are violated, disciplinary action must be taken in a timely manner. These laws should be applied uniformly throughout the community. Laws must also be applied fairly among civilians who appear to be violating these rules. Finally, justice must truly be done. This means that members of a community must maintain relationships with authorities in which they feel safe and able to express their opinions. If people feel safe reporting a crime, it is less likely that crime rates will continue to rise. Not only that, but people should feel that if they report a crime, it will be addressed in a timely manner and resolved. Justice must be easily accessible. The rule of law constitutes the foundation of Western democracies. It sets specific parameters that help shape our society. Laws help keep society functioning and provide us with guidelines and boundaries. Without laws, as stated above, society would most likely experience absolute chaos. Saying “no one is above the law” means that even those who serve justice must respect.