Kara Sears
Breaking the law can refer to violating rules, laws, or the Constitution. In the United States, the Trump administration has been accused of breaking the law, violating the Constitution, and undermining the rule of law. This raises questions about the state of American democracy and the role of the law in governing the country.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Political affiliation | Trump administration |
| Type of law broken | Rules, laws, and the Constitution |
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What You'll Learn
Who breaks the law in the UK?
Despite most Brits seeing themselves as law-abiding citizens, many break the law without realising it. A study found that the crime people were most likely to commit was singing 'Happy Birthday' in a restaurant (48%), followed closely by drinking alcohol before the age of 18 (47%). Other common laws that Brits don't realise they have broken include swearing or gesturing to other road users (40%) and vacuuming between the hours of 6 pm and 8 am on a weekday or 1 pm and 8 am on a Saturday or Sunday (36%).
However, only a tenth of people said they would do their citizen duty and call lawbreakers out on their actions.
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Who breaks the law in the US?
In the US, breaking the law can mean violating the Constitution, statutes, or both. This can be done by individuals, such as Elon Musk, or by the government.
In the case of Elon Musk, he froze most foreign aid, threatening the provision of medical care and the safe operation of refugee camps. This was done through his aides taking over the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the government's principal body providing humanitarian assistance around the world.
On the other hand, the government has also been known to break its own laws, particularly in the name of national security. For example, after 9/11, then-President George W. Bush authorised federal agencies to spy on Americans without warrants and the CIA to torture foreign persons to gain information about potential threats.
When people break the law in the US, there is a process that follows. If an adult is arrested for committing a serious crime, there may be a trial. In some states, a grand jury decides whether there is enough evidence for a trial, and if there is, the person is indicted. If there is not enough evidence, the charges are dropped. The sentence may include a fine, incarceration, probation, or, in some states, the death penalty.
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Who breaks the law in Europe?
There are many examples of EU law being flouted around the bloc. For example, an ultra-polluting steel plant in Italy, faulty or unsafe products trickling through a major e-commerce hub in Belgium, and Romanian farmers who use bee-killing pesticides indiscriminately, despite them being banned EU-wide since 2018.
In addition, EU governments openly defy the bloc’s top courts over data retention. This defiance of EU law is becoming more common across the bloc, affecting every area of daily European life, including on matters where EU citizens believe the EU executive is protecting them, such as product safety, food safety, and privacy.
There has also been a gradual trend toward weaker enforcement of EU rules across the bloc, which has undermined confidence in the EU legal system and lawmaking institutions. Over the years since 2002, Italy has accumulated the most infringement cases both in absolute numbers and when taking into account that other countries joined the EU later.
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Who breaks the law in Asia?
Across Southeast Asia, democratic governments have been accused of manipulating laws to justify withholding elections, genocide, and extrajudicial killings. In Cambodia, the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) outlawed the opposition to gain every single one of the country's 125 parliamentary seats.
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Who breaks the law in Africa?
The question of who breaks the law in Africa is a complex one, with a long history of colonial powers imposing their legal systems on African nations. Upon colonisation, the British and European empires prioritised the establishment of common law and civilian law respectively in their colonies. In response, African authorities developed their indigenous practices and customs into a formal legal system, known as customary law, which was administered by newly established Native Courts. However, these efforts were largely unsuccessful as the imported doctrines and codes took precedence.
Following political independence in the late 1970s, post-colonial Africa continued to employ the introduced laws, with some nations preserving colonial legislation more than others. Nigeria and Kenya, for example, were inclined to further adopt British legislation following independence, sending lawyers to the United Kingdom to study common laws. However, the application of these various sources of law proved to be unsuccessful as they did not cater to the African populace.
In contemporary Africa, the African Union is involved in the development of the continent's legal matters, with objectives to promote democratic institutions, encourage unity between the legal systems of African countries, improve international relations, and protect human rights. However, there are still challenges to the rule of law, including a lack of access to justice, the absence of adequately trained law enforcement, and an independent judiciary. There has also been a resurgence of military coups, especially in West Africa, with military forces playing a role in political and judicial systems.
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Frequently asked questions
Anyone can break the law, but it is more likely that people in positions of power will be able to do so without facing consequences.
The consequences of breaking the law vary depending on the severity of the crime and the jurisdiction in which it was committed. Possible consequences include fines, community service, probation, jail time, or even the death penalty.
Yes, it is possible to break the law unintentionally. This is known as "mistake of fact" or "ignorance of law", and it may be a defence in some cases.
Some common laws that people break include traffic laws, drug laws, and copyright laws.
If you witness someone breaking the law, you should report it to the appropriate authorities. Depending on the situation, this could be the police, a regulatory body, or another organisation.
