Codes, Sanctions and the State

M. R. Griffiths and J. R. Lucas

Chapter Chapter 9 in Ethical Economics, 1996, pp 134-149 from Palgrave Macmillan

Abstract: Abstract Codes and sanctions are sometimes needed, but there are limits to what they can achieve, and they cannot replace individual responsibility for deciding each case in the light of the various obligations that obtain. Although the State alone controls the ultimate sanction of coercion, and has the function of providing the legal framework on which business depends, it does not have unfettered power, and there are limits to the laws it can expect individuals to obey. The laws have to be reasonable, and strike an acceptable balance between the parties affected, or they will be ineffective and counter-productive. The State’s right to be obeyed has to be earned, and can be lost if it exercises its authority unreasonably. Democratic institutions enhance a State’s legitimacy, but are not necessary, nor by themselves sufficient in cases of abuse.

Keywords: Maternity Leave; Employment Protection; Political Legitimacy; Coercive Power; Fire Regulation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 1996
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DOI: 10.1057/9780230389953_9

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