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When is it OK, if ever, to disobey the law?

When is it OK, if ever, to disobey the law?

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Reply 1
When the result of not commenting the crime is magnitudes worse than the crime itself.

For instance, stealing an epipen to save a life - everything's grand. Stealing a paracetamol because you have a headache - yea, not ok.

Equally there are some specific laws that are just stupid, but I feel the above is a good cover all statement.
Reply 2
Original post by Dheorl
When the result of not commenting the crime is magnitudes worse than the crime itself.

For instance, stealing an epipen to save a life - everything's grand. Stealing a paracetamol because you have a headache - yea, not ok.

Equally there are some specific laws that are just stupid, but I feel the above is a good cover all statement.


If you're in a country that has a law you think is stupid (for example illegal to do homosexual acts ) is it ok to break that law?
Reply 3
It's always ok as long as you can get away with it.
Reply 4
Original post by Nadile
It's always ok as long as you can get away with it.


Rape? Murder? Child abuse? Torture?
Reply 5
IF you feel like killing someone- it's ok.
Original post by 2016_GCSE


Did you know:
In 1975, young lawyer Hillary Rodham was appointed to represent a defendant charged with raping a 12-year-old girl. Clinton reluctantly took on the case, which ended with a plea bargain for the defendant, and later chuckled about some aspects of the case when discussing it years later.


Yet another thing taken completely out of context and an attempt to twist exactly what happened, except I wouldnt give you that much credit.

She was talking to a reporter about a past case and her experience of the legal system. All laywers will talk about their experience within the profession amd its numerous issues.
Original post by 999tigger
Yet another thing taken completely out of context and an attempt to twist exactly what happened, except I wouldnt give you that much credit.

She was talking to a reporter about a past case and her experience of the legal system. All laywers will talk about their experience within the profession amd its numerous issues.


But would you chuckle about such a serious case?
Original post by 2016_GCSE
But would you chuckle about such a serious case?


It was about the system.

Criminal lawyers deal with potential criminals all the time ofc they yalk about clients to other lawyers.. Just like doctors talk about patients and their experiences in practice. All professions talk about their work.
Original post by 999tigger
It was about the system.

Criminal lawyers deal with potential criminals all the time ofc they yalk about clients to other lawyers.. Just like doctors talk about patients and their experiences in practice. All professions talk about their work.


Doctors talk about patients and their experiences in practice? Is that not against patient confidentiality rules?
Original post by 2016_GCSE
Doctors talk about patients and their experiences in practice? Is that not against patient confidentiality rules?


Ofc they keep within confidentiality rules, but professionals talk about their work between each other when discussing case histories. They can also leave out personalised data and talk about their work.
Original post by JapanNet
When is it OK, if ever, to disobey the law?


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Original post by JapanNet
When is it OK, if ever, to disobey the law?


That's an obviously baited question because laws are subjective by nature.

Different people will consider different laws to be unjust. For example most brits nowadays would disobey anti Semitic or homophobic laws as they existed in nazi Germany, but on the other hand far right neo nazis and religious extremists would reject secular laws like freedom of speech.

Ultimately, to answer your questions it's a personal choice when you feel it is acceptable to break the law, I don't think it's always unacceptable however.
I suppose if you had to choose between two options and had no other choice and they both broke the law. Then you'd have to choose the lesser of the two evils.
Please don't ask me fr an example. I don't have one 😶
It's perfectly fine to break the law if nothing immoral is being committed whilst doing so.
Original post by Drunk Punx
It's perfectly fine to break the law if nothing immoral is being committed whilst doing so.


Define immoral, that word means different things to different people
Original post by Drunk Punx
It's perfectly fine to break the law if nothing immoral is being committed whilst doing so.


Some would call sex outside marriage immoral, should that be against the law?
Original post by Connor27
Define immoral, that word means different things to different people


Within this context, if it's depriving someone of something or harming them then it's immoral.

For example, theft is immoral because you're knowingly depriving someone of something that belongs to them. Murder kinda speaks for itself.
Original post by Connor27
Some would call sex outside marriage immoral, should that be against the law?


Seeing as the people who make the laws aren't exactly upholders of morality (in other words, they don't always practice what they preach) I don't really see how the government can make laws based on morality without being hypocritical, to a certain degree.

Obviously you have to take that with a pinch of salt because I'm really not interested in living in a society with no laws.

Regarding your specific example: if the justification for someones' beliefs are irrational (in this case, religion) then I really don't think we should pay them much heed, otherwise we'll be back to burning "witches" before you know it.
Original post by Drunk Punx
Within this context, if it's depriving someone of something or harming them then it's immoral.

For example, theft is immoral because you're knowingly depriving someone of something that belongs to them. Murder kinda speaks for itself.


You use theft as an example, but what if someone is starving and steals food or money from a rich person to survive? Do they belong in jail?

Morality is not black and white and there are always exceptions, hence why this thread is pointless, it's called opinions

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