A lawful activity is any action that, when carried out, correctly complies with the laws, rules, statutes or regulations of a specific area or space.
Today's society lives under certain rules not only at the legal level, but for a coexistence that avoids conflicts.
From certain points of view the legality that defines an activity as lawful or not, is relative or at least debatable.
There are numerous historical examples where groups of people have organized to protest against laws that in their opinion were absurd.
One can cite the abolition of the laws that in the past prevented women from voting in elections.
When is an activity legal?
Depending on the area or jurisdiction where we are, an activity may qualify as legal or illegal.
While there are many laws that are accepted in many places, it is common for each country to apply unique rules regarding certain issues.
In addition to this, there are many countries that have states or cities with sufficient autonomy to declare an activity legal or illegal, regardless of what the nation establishes in its constitution or its laws.
There are specific occasions motivated by events or events out of the ordinary where the law becomes ambiguous or irrational.
The phenomenon of black or parallel markets can be mentioned, where a good or product is offered to the public despite being prohibited.
If said product is accepted by society (because it does not represent a risk), its sale can be considered lawful by people.
The use of recreational drugs such as marijuana is a good example of an activity that is legally prohibited but is seen in a lawful way by a group of people.
The pressure generated by different organizations has ended up making the use of marijuana a legal activity in various parts of the world.
Legal and illegal activities
When an activity violates the rules and regulations established in a place, it is said to be an illegal activity.
Within the legal context, there are several crimes that use the term illicit to attest to an activity that breaks the law when committed, such as illicit enrichment.
The laws of many countries present fine lines that separate the lawful from the illegal with respect to various situations where the law is not entirely clear.
The interpretation of the legality of a fact can be ruled by a judge or a jury, in the case of bringing a claim to trial.
Legal loopholes
It is said that there is a legal vacuum or legal loophole when the ambiguity of a contract or a law does not allow covering all possible cases that involve it, leaving room for activities that can be seen as illegal but are not thus defined anywhere, for which cannot be condemned.
Legal immunity
Legal immunity occurs in several special cases where a person is exempt from the charges or penalties of a country.
This happens especially in diplomatic relations; ambassadors and consuls usually have diplomatic immunity.
References
- Lawful (nd). Retrieved on October 29, 2017, from Merriam-Webster.
- Joe Lott (nd). Defining lawful and unlawful activities. Retrieved on October 29, 2017, from Field Seymour Parkes.
- Diplomatic Immunity (2016). Retrieved on October 29, 2017, from eDiplomat.
- Illicit (nd). Retrieved on October 29, 2017, from Definicion.de.
- Principle of legality (May 27, 2012). Retrieved on October 29, 2017, from Law Topics.
- Definition of Legality (sf). Retrieved on October 29, 2017, from ABC Definition.