Good morning/afternoon Mr Hollis and fellow students.
Many different factors have a direct impact on the nature of our laws.
Consider the fact that that the workers compensation laws that were created in the early part of the twentieth century in response to the gradual shift in culture. During this time it had become accepted that governments had a responsibility to protect the interests of all citizens and not just the rich. In relation to this we can see that this was the perception that society as a whole benefited from the labors of its workers and that it needed to compensate those who were injured in the course of their duties. This was the moral basis for workers compensation law.
Economics’ also played a role.
There are 5 major influences of the law.
• Political factors
• Economic factors
• Moral factors
• Social factors
• Cultural factors
Cultural influences are embedded in, and also had an influence on the society in which it exits. Religion and tradition play a major role in culture and therefore influence the nature of the law in that society. For example if a nation has a strongly religious culture, the religious views and teachings tend to play a role in lawmaking than in a society which religion is thought to be less important.
Morality and the law are mainly influenced by politicians understanding of the moral views of citizens, which influences their moral views as well.
A good example is provided by the death penalty, for which there is substantial support in the community but yet, is opposed by all major politicians and political parties. In the same manner it advocates euthanasia claim that Australians support the right of a terminally ill person to an assisted suicide, but political parties stand against the idea because of the moral views of the majority of members. Despite this, the law usually tries to improvise the moral standards of society. To maintain this it must remain flexible and be capable of adjusting to...