It will be of little avail to the people that the laws are made by men of their own choice if the laws be so voluminous that they cannot be read, or so incoherent that they cannot be understood.
Attribution disputed; shown as originally published.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Laws must be readable and coherent; even if made by elected officials, they fail if people cannot understand them.
- In plain terms
- Laws made by chosen leaders are useless if they are too long or confusing to understand.
- What can you take from it?
- Legislation must be clear and accessible to be effective.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How much detail should a law contain to be clear?
- Who ensures laws are understood by citizens?
Another view
Over-simplification might miss necessary nuance in complex regulations.
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