Rules–Rights and Responsibilities

When I started the Y166 course, I learnt early on the need for rules. Without rules, society cannot be a success.

Laws are essentially the rules with which members of a society are subjected to, in order to realise a harmonious interaction with each other. Laws define how we work, play and socialise with each other, seeking to minimise, punish and deter antagonistic behaviour. Laws guide how all of this is done.

Each and every person in society has rights – certain permissions or entitlements that are guaranteed.

Every person also has responsibilities. Rights and responsibilities work in tandem with each other. Either has limits brought about by the other.

An easy way to explain this: the right to ‘free speech’ (freedom of expression) is curtailed by the responsibility to avoid libel and slander for example. So freedom of expression is not absolute. Neither are most other guaranteed rights.

Laws ensure that everyone’s rights are respected and that individuals, groups, organisations, or governments do not encroach upon any other persons rights. At the same time, laws ensure that we keep our responsibilities. For example, we have a responsibility to see that our children are not denied an education.

The legal system developed over centuries balances rights and responsibilities.