What Is Law?

Law is a set of rules and regulations enforced by the

authority to control human behaviors for the common
good.

Violation of these rules and regulations tend to result in

penalties or punishment from the court of law. Examples
of penalties are sanctions and punishment is
imprisonment.

However, these laws can easily be changed according to

the need and demand of maintaining certain conditions in
a society.

What Is Ethics?
Ethics are moral values and principles that govern the
behaviour of an individual. Ethics help to choose what is
right and wrong.

Ethics are highly susceptible to changes due to new

inventions, ideas and information. It also tends to vary
from nation to nation, culture to culture and country to
country.

The good news is that failure to adhere to the ethics do

not result in penalties and punishment. However, it
fosters one self-respect.
Comparison Chart: Law Vs Ethics

Basic Terms Law Ethics

Refers to a set of
Refers to morals
rules and
and principles
regulation that
that control the
Definition govern behaviour
behaviour of
in society and
individuals in
they enforced by
society.
authority
Individuals are Individuals are
Codes required to obey required to
them conform to them
Individual, Legal
Governed By Government and Professional
norms
Lead to penalties No penalties and
Violation
and punishment punishment
Occur in a Tend to be non-
Type
written document written
Religious
Lawyers and leaders,
Makers
legislature philosophers, and
elders
Country, state Universal and
Application and place of can be applied
crime anywhere
Objective Maintain social Help people to
order and peace choose what is
 in the society right or wrong
Do not have a
Binding legal binding
binding thing
  It cannot be
 It is enforced.
enforced.   It need not
 It needs to be published.
be published.   It may or
Characteristics
 It is may not be
consistent. consistent.
  It needs to  It is not
be obeyed. necessary to
obey.

Main Difference between Law and Ethics

1. Laws are a set of rules and regulations enforced by
the government or authorities while ethics are morals
and principles adapted by society from the
environment.
2. Failure to follow laws can result in penalties and
punishment while ethics do not attract penalties and
punishment.
3. Laws are made by lawyers and legislature whereas
ethics by religious leaders, philosophers and elders
in the family.
4. Laws are a must to be followed while ethics are
values to be considered to be a positive attitude to
follow.
5. Ethics are prone to changes due to new inventions,
ideas and information whereas laws can be changed
by authorities based on demand and need for
maintaining certain conditions in the society.
6. Laws are made from ethics as a guiding principle
while ethics are moral values of oneself or society
7. Laws tend to be the same in a country while ethics
tend to vary from one city to another.
8. Religion tends to have a direct impact on ethics
while it may or may not have an impact on laws.
9. Laws are in a written document whereas ethics are
not written
10. The court is responsible to decide which law has
been broken whereas society judge someone based
on ethical issues.
11. Laws create a legal binding while ethics do not have
a binding thing