There are many reasons why the law should be taught in society. Among these are:
The need for an orderly and sane society: For there to exist an orderly and sane society, there is the need to teach law. This will create in the minds of the populace an incentive to respect and follow the law, where such is attained therefore, the society will develop faster.
The law is protective: In most situations, people feel that the law is created just for the purpose of punishing wrongs done, but the truth is that law exist in society for the protection of citizens. An awareness of this fact will create in the people a sense of belonging, and a willingness to obey laws would be cultivated.
Encourages critical and constructive reasoning: Knowledge, they say, is power. The knowledge of the law is, indeed, power. An awareness of the law will create in the individual, the ability to think critically and constructively, as regards legal issues, which will enable him to arrive at reasonable and conclusive opinions. It encourages self-confidence in the individual, which enables him to arrive at personal opinions.
Curtailing Juvenile Delinquency: The knowledge of the law, inculcated in our young ones, even as early as the primary schools, would form part and parcel of their character, even as they grow up into the society. Where this is attained, it will be almost impossible for such young ones to violate the law, since living in accordance with the dictates of the law would have become a lifestyle. This will largely curtail the delinquent attitudes of our young ones in society.
Preventing self-help: Many people in society today engage in self-help when they are aggrieved and feel they cannot obtain justice quickly. This is basically because they do not know that there are better ways of arriving at justice. The knowledge of the law will create in society, the right process in addressing wrongs, yet maintaining peace and orderliness. The use of self-help only erupts further controversies, thereby causing disorderliness in society. Our people must learn that the patience and delay of the law do not mean permissiveness. The wheels of the law may grind slowly, but they surely grind.
Fundamental Rights: People suffer in ignorance because they do not know their rights. A practical example could be, where an individual is arrested as a suspect of a crime, and locked up in jail, without trial. This happens every day in our society. Where people are not educated with regards to what the law says about their rights, such rights would be continually violated, and they would never know. Thus, it is important to teach people the law, so as to enable them to know their rights, and as a result, defend it by standing up for them when such are violated.
Understanding the Legal Process: Knowledge of the law gives an individual the opportunity to understand how the law works. Even where the person is the victim of a crime, it would enable him to know how to go about selecting a counsel to defend him.
The knowledge of the law also helps people become better and more effective citizens.
Non-Violence Dispute Resolution: The knowledge of the law provides for the people the power to resolve certain legal conflicts they confront. It educates people on peaceful means of resolving everyday conflicts, for instance, through mediation, arbitration, or the courts.
The awareness of the law in society helps to foster obedience to the law since law ordinarily promotes and reflects certain values in society. Our legal system is influenced by our society’s traditional ideas of right and wrong. For example, laws against murder reflect the moral belief that killing another person is wrong. When people realize that the law agrees with their traditional values, which are known to them, there is a greater chance to obey it.
For Development: Development in society is a function of the citizens’ awareness of the law. Ignorance of the law is the basic cause of underdevelopment in most developing countries.
Why People Need to Know the Law
There are many reasons why the law should be taught in society. Among these are:
The need for an orderly and sane society: For there to exist an orderly and sane society, there is the need to teach law. This will create in the minds of the populace an incentive to respect and follow the law, where such is attained therefore, the society will develop faster.
The law is protective: In most situations, people feel that the law is created just for the purpose of punishing wrongs done, but the truth is that law exist in society for the protection of citizens. An awareness of this fact will create in the people a sense of belonging, and a willingness to obey laws would be cultivated.
Encourages critical and constructive reasoning: Knowledge, they say, is power. The knowledge of the law is, indeed, power. An awareness of the law will create in the individual, the ability to think critically and constructively, as regards legal issues, which will enable him to arrive at reasonable and conclusive opinions. It encourages self-confidence in the individual, which enables him to arrive at personal opinions.
Curtailing Juvenile Delinquency: The knowledge of the law, inculcated in our young ones, even as early as the primary schools, would form part and parcel of their character, even as they grow up into the society. Where this is attained, it will be almost impossible for such young ones to violate the law, since living in accordance with the dictates of the law would have become a lifestyle. This will largely curtail the delinquent attitudes of our young ones in society.
Preventing self-help: Many people in society today engage in self-help when they are aggrieved and feel they cannot obtain justice quickly. This is basically because they do not know that there are better ways of arriving at justice. The knowledge of the law will create in society, the right process in addressing wrongs, yet maintaining peace and orderliness. The use of self-help only erupts further controversies, thereby causing disorderliness in society. Our people must learn that the patience and delay of the law do not mean permissiveness. The wheels of the law may grind slowly, but they surely grind.
Fundamental Rights: People suffer in ignorance because they do not know their rights. A practical example could be, where an individual is arrested as a suspect of a crime, and locked up in jail, without trial. This happens every day in our society. Where people are not educated with regards to what the law says about their rights, such rights would be continually violated, and they would never know. Thus, it is important to teach people the law, so as to enable them to know their rights, and as a result, defend it by standing up for them when such are violated.
Understanding the Legal Process: Knowledge of the law gives an individual the opportunity to understand how the law works. Even where the person is the victim of a crime, it would enable him to know how to go about selecting a counsel to defend him.
The knowledge of the law also helps people become better and more effective citizens.
Non-Violence Dispute Resolution: The knowledge of the law provides for the people the power to resolve certain legal conflicts they confront. It educates people on peaceful means of resolving everyday conflicts, for instance, through mediation, arbitration, or the courts.
The awareness of the law in society helps to foster obedience to the law since law ordinarily promotes and reflects certain values in society. Our legal system is influenced by our society’s traditional ideas of right and wrong. For example, laws against murder reflect the moral belief that killing another person is wrong. When people realize that the law agrees with their traditional values, which are known to them, there is a greater chance to obey it.
For Development: Development in society is a function of the citizens’ awareness of the law. Ignorance of the law is the basic cause of underdevelopment in most developing countries.