Should morality be included as an essential part of law? At what point to do we draw the line between what is legally morally acceptable and what is not?

Essay by shalom18College, UndergraduateA+, March 2003

download word file, 3 pages 3.0 2 reviews

Downloaded 127 times

Should morality be included as an essential part of law? At what point to do we draw the line between what is legally morally acceptable and what is not? The moral views of a society should be incorporated into the laws of society to a degree that represents the best interest of the people. It is far fetched to say that we should remove entirely moral views from our legal system, while on the other side of the spectrum it wouldn't seem right to say that we should base our legal system solely upon our moral feelings. As a society we must focus upon the safety of the citizens, regardless of the basis of the laws needed to do so. It is also essential to recognize and understand the already existing situation, and social climate.

In every society it is essential that focus is put upon the safety and protection of the citizens.

When the argument of morality and law is endured, it is necessary to recognize that regardless of the decision, the need to order and protection is the foremost concern. The Wolfenden committee stated that " [Criminal law] in this field, its function, as we see it, is to preserve public order and decency, to protect the citizen from what is offensive or injurious, and to provide significant safeguards against exploitation and corruption of others..." This quote makes it very clear that from the results of the study that the first and foremost concern of the Wolfenden report was protection and maintaining order within society regardless of the morality involved.

Having some degree of moral influence in our legal system is appropriate as it allows for the chance at maintaining a just society. It is difficult however to identify at where that line is drawn, where to much...