Can Breaking the Law Ever be Justified?

Any country or a place has its set of rules or laws. They are made in order to keep the place safe and peaceful. Some may have a set of rules while others may have rules that are open to changes and additions. These rules are set to govern people and keep them in discipline. However, as the saying goes ‘rules are meant to be broken’. Many people are found breaking these laws. No one in the world always follows the rule. It might be a small rule they might have broken, but they have done it.

Many cases have been reported where people broke rules so that they could do what is appropriate. This might be appropriate in cases but not always. Hence sometimes, breaking the law can be justified. Breaking the rules can be the best thing to do in a particular situation. It may not be right according to the rules but it might be what the best thing to do is.

For example, if we are driving a car and a person falls in front of our car, we are obliged to go into the opposite lane given that there are no cars there so that we won’t hit the person.

In this way, we broke the rule by going into the opposite lane but just to save a person’s life. This is a case where breaking the rule is justified. In such situations of urgency, our instincts work to find the best possible solution even though it might mean breaking the rule. Even if we get questioned for such decisions, we will have a proper and legal justification for it. Also, sometimes it is the rules that suppress the people. Breaking them can benefit a large group of people and help the country or institution to prosper.

Like many think, laws are fundamental to the development of a country, but it is often neglected that breaking them can be beneficial at times. A great example is the constituent assembly of Nepal. Rather than moving forward with the development, the leaders are stumbling upon stupid laws and clauses of the interim constitution and are working on solving the problem than moving further from it. Such waste of time can be justified by breaking or bending the law. Also, the present day India exists because Gandhi broke the rule and went against the British.

Had it not been for him, India would not be the independent country it is now. Hence, breaking laws can be justified if that brings a large benefit to a large group of people. Many people would argue that rules are made to prevent any wrong or criminal activities and stabilize any place, they fail to realize that it is not made keeping in mind every possible scenario. Sometimes rules may cause problems to people. Like in a situation where a woman is being raped, her instincts make her beat the criminal and kill them also. This is against the law but that is what the only possible way was out.

The law that murder is a criminal activity doesn’t exclude situations where one is in harm and situations of self defense. It further helps to justify that rule breaking can be justifiable. Although rule breaking is not promoted, it can be the best solution at times. For the development of a place and to move ahead, sometimes it is the rules that are preventing us from doing so. Breaking the law may have its consequences, but it is mostly better than the outcome that would have arised had we followed the law. Therefore, rules are made to be followed, but sometimes it is wise to break them.