Well, law is a bit like a printing press -- it's kind of neutral, you can make it do anything. I mean, what lawyers are taught in law school is chicanery: how to convert words on paper into instruments of power. And depending where the power is, the law will mean different things.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Law is a neutral tool that can be wielded for power depending on who controls it.
- In plain terms
- Law is neutral like a machine, but lawyers use it to gain power for the powerful.
- What can you take from it?
- Law serves those who hold the power to define its use.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Who benefits from current laws?
- How can we make law more neutral?
Another view
Laws can also be designed to protect rights if power is balanced.
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