You do not examine legislation in light of the benefits it will convey if properly administered, but in light of the wrongs it would do and the harms it would cause if improperly administered.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Legislation should be judged by potential harms from misuse rather than ideal benefits.
- In plain terms
- Look at what goes wrong when laws are misused, not just what goes right.
- What can you take from it?
- Evaluate laws by their risks of misuse.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What safeguards prevent misuse?
- How do we balance risk and benefit?
Another view
It might undervalue potential positive outcomes.
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