Why must rule of law be upheld not just legally, but ethically? Examine the role of values in ensuring lawful conduct by both citizens and public officials.
Kartavya Desk Staff
Q7. Why must rule of law be upheld not just legally, but ethically? Examine the role of values in ensuring lawful conduct by both citizens and public officials. (10 M)
Difficulty Level: Medium
Reference: NIE
Why the question: The 2025 Gujarat ATS arms license scam revealed that legal procedures, when stripped of ethical commitment, can be manipulated, highlighting the need to ethically uphold the rule of law. Key Demand of the question: The question seeks to understand why upholding the rule of law requires ethical conviction in addition to legal compliance, and how specific values enable both citizens and officials to behave lawfully. Structure of the Answer: Introduction: Briefly explain rule of law as a foundational democratic principle, and assert that its legitimacy is rooted as much in ethics as in legal authority. Body: Why rule of law must be upheld ethically, not just legally: Argue that legality without morality enables manipulation, erodes public trust, and leads to governance by form rather than by fairness. Role of values in ensuring lawful conduct: Show how values like integrity, justice, empathy, and civic duty promote lawful behaviour by embedding law within the conscience of both officials and citizens. Conclusion: State that the rule of law becomes truly sustainable only when driven by internalised values, making compliance a matter of conviction, not compulsion.
Why the question: The 2025 Gujarat ATS arms license scam revealed that legal procedures, when stripped of ethical commitment, can be manipulated, highlighting the need to ethically uphold the rule of law.
Key Demand of the question: The question seeks to understand why upholding the rule of law requires ethical conviction in addition to legal compliance, and how specific values enable both citizens and officials to behave lawfully.
Structure of the Answer:
Introduction: Briefly explain rule of law as a foundational democratic principle, and assert that its legitimacy is rooted as much in ethics as in legal authority.
• Why rule of law must be upheld ethically, not just legally: Argue that legality without morality enables manipulation, erodes public trust, and leads to governance by form rather than by fairness.
• Role of values in ensuring lawful conduct: Show how values like integrity, justice, empathy, and civic duty promote lawful behaviour by embedding law within the conscience of both officials and citizens.
Conclusion: State that the rule of law becomes truly sustainable only when driven by internalised values, making compliance a matter of conviction, not compulsion.