The Role and Function of Law Essay examples

Submitted By hannahcunningham
Words: 896
Pages: 4

The Role and Function of Law

Introduction

One might say that the various expectations of our founding fathers evolved into certain rules and regulations for the country. These rules and or regulations then made the transition into laws which were established and implemented with the best interest of the country in mind. The law has one very important role yet various functions when it comes to business and society. This paper will discuss both the role and the functions of law in business and society, The role that the law has when it comes to business and society is making sure that things, issues, concerns, functions, etc are all ran as efficiently as possible. Because laws are established in an effort to effectively manage the social behaviors or ideas of businesses and individuals, the law must consist of guidelines and stipulations with varying outcomes and consequences in order to produce the desired results. The functions of law in business or society include enforcing the practices that have already been established as the laws of the land. The law would be responsible for settling various disputes and keeping the peace. Individuals who are in the field of law are even nicknamed peacekeepers. Other functions of law might include helping to protect certain parts of the environment and helping to promote economic growth within the economy as a whole. Many people try to break the law down into two specific categories, criminal law or civil law. In fact there are many types of law that exist. Some examples may include substantive law, procedural law, common law, ordinances, executive orders, constitutions, treaties, statutes and many others. Some laws such as constitutions can override other laws because they are at a government or federal level. When considering the role and functions of law in the health care industry, I found the case of Cipollone v Liggett to be a good example of a case that would impact that industry. The use of tobacco in cigarettes has proven to be both unhealthy and deadly. It has also been a hot topic in the news for many years. Cipollone made the decision to sue Liggett because he believed Liggett showed a level of irresponsibility by making the decision to advertise a substance that was later determined to be deadly and would be the root cause of the death of his mother. Cigarettes and the results of smoking them have been in the news for an extended period of time, because is has been said, and it is widely known that they are responsible for the deaths and illnesses of many people. The courts have upheld the federal laws that pre empts all accusations of wrong doings by tobacco companies when it comes to advertising. It may not seem right that the cigarette companies are not held liable for the many injuries and deaths that have been associated with the product, but our laws allow individuals the ability to make their own choices, even if those choices end up causing an individual to die. Cigarette companies can do everything possible to inform individuals of the dangers and risks that are associated with consuming the product, but after it is all said and done it is the choice of the individual to smoke or not to smoke (Melvin, 2011). The role and functions of law were made clear with this lawsuit because it helped to discourage and prevent many frivolous law suits that may have been a future result.