LAW AND CRIMINALITY

___

ROHAN ARUN

Table of contents
● What is law?
● Laws every Indian should know
● Educational laws around the world
● Law in ancient times
● Weird laws around the world
● What is crime ?
● World famous laws
● Conclusion
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What is law?
Law means Justice, Morality, Reason, Order, and Righteous from the view point of the
society. Law means Statutes, Acts, Rules, Regulations, Orders, and Ordinances from
point of view of legislature.
What are the different law systems around the world?
1) common law;
2) civil law;
3) religious law;
4) customary law

Why do we need laws?

• Most laws are for our own benefits and protection; they preserve

public order and policy.

• Without laws, a society will be an anarchy- dysfunctional, full of

chaos, injustice and immorality.

• Without laws, we would all live like animals in nature, each person

pursuing one's own desires with no regard for the effects of his or

her behaviour on others and this would lead to suffering.

• Laws prevent people from harming others, and do whatever one

feels like to anyone else by setting punishments for those harms if

they are committed.

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• Another purpose of laws is to resolve disputes, since laws are

consistence rules made to be applied in almost every situation.

In general, the government of nations create and decide which laws to pass, as making
laws to keep order is a part of governing. In the United States, laws are written and
made by the Senate and the House of Representatives which make up the Congress.
In Australia, laws are made by its parliament even though the country is a constitutional
monarchy and has a queen. In Saudi Arabia, as one of the few absolute monarchies
that still exist today, the creation and decision about laws are up to the king and his
chosen ministers.

Aside from laws of independent nations, there is also international law, which are laws
guiding individual nations’ conduct and their relationships with one another, the
international organization, the United Nations is responsible for this.

The “International Bill of Human Rights”, which was first drafted as “a common
standard of achievement for all peoples” is widely accepted as the list of rights that
should be kept and respected by all states. Almost all countries that exist are members
of the United Nations, and are obligated to respect the basic international human rights
laws.

The International Court of Justice (based in the Peace Palace, The Hague, Netherlands
pictured above) is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. The ICJ settles
legal disputes between states, who must agree to abide by the Court’s jurisdiction
before their case will be heard.

There are different legal systems that are in use throughout the countries in the world,
with three main ones. The most common legal system is “Civil Law”, which is the legal
system of France and many nations that were conquered by France, including many
countries of Latin America. In the UK, and countries that were colonies of the UK,
including India, USA, Australia and many others, have legal systems which are based
on “Common Law”. Common law is determined by judges, it can be applied to many
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different situations and it is more flexible. The Civil Law system on the other hand, is a
collection of laws, they are not decided by judges or open for interpretation. Both
systems have advantages and disadvantages. The third most common law system is
religious Islamic law, which are enforced in Muslim countries, the “Sharia” and the
“Fiqh”. This law is believed by Muslims to be directly from God and so cannot be
changed by even a government or King.

Problems arise with different law systems in different countries. Examples of this are
the cases of two British couples who were arrested and served jail sentences for
kissing, and showing intimacy in public in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

According to the legal system of the UAE, what they did was indecent and offending
behavior.

Disputes arise as these couples were foreign citizens, and in countries where Islamic
law is not practiced, it would be considered extreme to arrest or imprison people for
kissing or displaying affection in public. Some other controversial issues surrounding
different legal systems are: the one-child policy in China

, having a national dress code like that in Saudi Arabia, the capital punishment,
executions by beheading, amputation of hands for theft, and others.

Torture, or other cruel punishments like amputation are prohibited by international

human rights standards, but the punishments and seriousness of crimes differ in
different legal systems. This makes it difficult to judge a law or case fairly and morally.
Practices, laws or policies such as controlling what people wear too strictly, harsh
punishments such as death or amputation for crimes like stealing, or limiting the
number of children a person may have may be viewed in an international perspective
as violating human rights. The line between just and unjust in the legal systems we
have today is not clear so such disagreement problems will remain.
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LAWS EVERY INDIAN SHOULD KNOW

1 Right to Life:
According to Article 21 of theConstitution of India, every individual has the right

to life and liberty that allows them to lead their life as per their choice. The article

says, No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according

to the procedure established by law.” The right to life is considered the most

important right as well as is universally recognized and protected by

international authorities as well. That means you can’t be refrained from leading

your life with dignity by the state. For example, the right to marry a person of

your choice falls under this category, i.e. your parents or anyone else can’t stop

you from getting married legally (keeping in mind both the individuals are adults).

2 Right to Equality:
We live in a society where people from all religions, castes, creeds, and races

live together. And to maintain harmony it is quite important to treat each and

every citizen of India equally. To ensure this our constitution provides us the right

to equality under Article 14. According to the article, The State shall not

discriminate any person on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of

birth”. In other words, it ensures the equality before law. For example, a school
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or an institution can’t refrain from admitting a child of a minority class citing the

fact that the school is a Hindu-established institution.

3 Right to Information:
Under theRight to Information (RTI Act), every Indian citizen has the right to seek

information regarding anything except the information concerned with national

security. You can ask for information regarding government activities, policies,

actions, and decisions from any public authority. Through this right, the

government aims to promote transparency, accountability, and good

governance and ensure the trust of the citizens of India.

In case you reach any public authority for any sort of information and the

authorities do not revert back within thirty days then you can also reach the

court and they have furnished the information sought by you. If the request

made involves a petitioner’s life and liberty then the concerned authorities are

required to furnish the information within 48 hours anyhow.

4 Right to Education:
Education is a basic right of every individual and providing education to a ward

is his/her parent’s duty. But under some critical circumstances, it becomes quite

difficult for parents to educate their children. Under Article 21(A) of the Indian

Constitution, inserted after the 86th Constitutional Amendment the government

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is required to provide schooling to children. According to this article, State shall

provide free and compulsory education to children of the age 6 to 14 years in a

manner as the state may determine.”

TheRight to Education Actwas passed on August 4, 2009, which aimed to

provide education to every child irrespective of their gender, caste,

socioeconomic status, etc. So now on whenever you find any child who is

unable to acquire an education, then you can approach any government official

and ask for their admission to the government school.

5 Right to File an FIR:

It is often seen when someone has an accident or something unfortunate

happens to them that is against the law, people hesitate to file the FIR. And if

they go on to file it, sometimes police or other concerned authorities refuse to

do so. Through this law, the state ensures that an individual can file an FIR at the

police station and no police officer can decline to file the same. If any police

officer is found to do so then under Section 166 of theIndian Penal Code he can

be punished for a term up to one year, or with a fine, or both fine and

punishment.

6 Right of Parents to be maintained by their Children:

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We often see people avoiding their parents in their old age when they settle

down in their lives. Even some refrains from providing financial assistance to

them as well and puts them in old age homes. Being a parent if your children do

not take care of you emotionally and financially then you can reach the court

with sufficient proof against them. Under Section 125 of theCode of Criminal

Procedure,the parents of an adult have the right to claim maintenance from

them. The law applies to each and every individual who has aging or dependent

parents /guardians (biological or adoptive father and mother, or stepfather or

stepmother, whether they are senior citizens or not).

7 Equal pay for Equal work:

In today’s world, both men and women are working in all domains with equal

participation. To promote gender equality and non-discrimination in the

workplace our constitution under Article 39 provides us with the fundamental

right to get equal pay for equal work. According to this right, the individuals who

perform similar work, regardless of their gender, post, or any other factor

involved, should receive equal remuneration.

If an employer violates the law and refuses to pay you on par with the other

gender then being an employee you have the right to register a complaint in this

regard against him with the relevant proofs.

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8 Rights of a woman when arrested:

During an arrest police often put you under pressure and work as per their will,

but you need to be calm and look for the rights you have. Sometimes when

police come to arrest women at odd hours due to being unaware of your rights

you just go with them which is wrong and is against the law. You should know

that under Section 46 (4) of the CrPC, no woman can be arrested after sunset

and before sunrise. But if there is a situation that can’t be avoided and a woman

needs to be arrested before 6 AM and after 6 PM then the woman police officer

can obtain the prior permission of the Judicial within whose jurisdiction the

offense is committed or the arrest is to be made. Along with this keep in mind

that a woman can be arrested only by a woman officer and not a male.

9 Rights under the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961:

If you are a pregnant woman and your company fires you from your workplace

then you can file an FIR against the company officials. Irrespective of whether

the company is private or public, your employer is required to give you 84 days

of paid maternity leave. TheMaternity Benefit Actwas passed in the year 1961 to

protect women from being fired from an office during their maternity. As per this

Act, if an employer fires a pregnant woman then he will be punished with a

maximum of three years imprisonment.

10. Right against the cheque bounce:

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Cheque bounce is a popular issue these days but its consequences are really

stringent. According to Section 138 of theNegotiable Instruments Act, 1881, the

cheque bounce is an infringement where a defaulter is subject to imprisonment

extending to two years or fine up to double the amount of the cheque, or with

both imprisonment and a fine. If any authority violates this right conferred to all

the individuals then the victim can serve legal notice on the party responsible

and can pursue criminal charges against him if the party does not pay him within

15 days of the legal notice.

11. Right to free legal aid:

It is not easy for every individual to seek legal advice, as lawyers charge a hefty

amount for consultation. But getting free legal aid and advice is our fundamental

right enshrined under Article 39A and a duty of the state as well under DPSP. It

ensures that every individual, underprivileged or privileged receives justice,

which is a basic feature of our constitution. In case you need legal assistance

from a lawyer to represent you in the courtroom or to get legal aid, then you can

approach them and ask for their help. Through this, our state ensures that no

citizen is restricted from getting justice because of their financial situation or

another obstacle.

12. Right to claim a Refund:

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When we go shopping many times the shopkeeper sells us goods that do not fit

the criteria meeting our expectations by falsifying the information about the

product. In such cases usually the seller refuses to exchange or return the goods

or products but you know you can claim a refund against it. Yes, under the

Consumer Protection Act of 1986, consumers have the right to claim a refund in

case he/she is not satisfied with the purchase. Therefore any statement saying

'No exchanges or refunds' on a bill or invoice is illegal and the consumers can

file complaints against the defaulters.

Educational laws around the world

Educational Laws in Pakistan

Education in Pakistan is overseen by the Federal Ministry of Education and
the provincial governments, whereas the federal government mostly assists in
curriculum development, accreditation and in the financing of research and
development. As per constitution of Pakistan, education is the basic right of
every child in the country. In this regard, In 1973, Article 37-B of the Pakistani
Constitution was created, stating that,
“The State shall remove illiteracy and provide free and compulsory secondary education within minimum
possible period.”

Also created in 1973 was Article 38-D of the Pakistani Constitution, which
states,
“The State shall provide basic necessities of life, such as food, clothing, housing, education and medical
relief, for all citizens, irrespective of sex, caste, creed or race, as are permanently or temporarily unable to
earn their livelihood on account of infirmity, sickness or unemployment.”
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In 2010, Article 25-A of the Pakistani Constitution was created, stating that,
“The State shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of five to sixteen years
in such manner as may be determined by law.”

Some other important educational laws include

● Punjab Compulsory Primary Education Act, 1994

● The Punjab Education Department (School Education)
Service-Recruitment Rules 1987 (Amended 2014)
● The Punjab Private Educational Institutions (Promotion & Regulations)
(Amendment) Act 2017.

Educational Law in India

The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act or Right to

Education Act (RTE) is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted on 4 August
2009, which describes the modalities of the importance of free and
compulsory education for children between the ages of 6 to 14 years in India
under Article 21A of the Indian Constitution.
Other important laws related to education are English Education Act, 1835
and National Council for Teacher Education Act, 1993.

Educational Laws in China

The Law on Nine-Year Compulsory Education (July 1, 1986) guaranteed

school-age children the right to receive at least nine years of education
(six-year primary education and three years secondary education). It was
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further amended as Compulsory Education Law of the People’s Republic of

China on June 29, 2006.

Article 11 of this Law says that any child who has attained to the age of 6,
his/her parents or other statutory guardians shall have him/her enrolled in
school to finish compulsory education. For the children in those areas where
the conditions are not satisfied, the initial time of schooling may be postponed
to 7 years old.

Educational Laws in USA (America)

Public education is not a “right” granted to individuals by the Constitution. The

U.S. Constitution mentions no such right nor has the U.S. Supreme Court
recognized one. However, The Equal Education Opportunities Act of 1974
provides that no state can deny an equal opportunity to education to any
individual on the basis of race, color, sex, or national origin.
As each state has its own school system, so, there are very different laws
among the various states with regard to management of schools, teachers,
and funding for public education. However, they are all overseen by the
federal government through the Department of Education. Compulsory school
attendance laws were first passed in Massachusetts in 1852 and invariably
spread to other sections of the country. By 1900, thirty-two states had passed
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compulsory education laws and by 1930 all the states had some form of this
law in place.

Educational Laws in UK (Britain)

England and Wales were slow to introduce compulsory education due to the
upper class defending its educational privileges. In England and Wales, the
Elementary Education Act 1870 paved the way for compulsory education by
establishing school boards to set up schools in any places that did not have
adequate provision. Attendance was made compulsory until age 10 in 1880.
The Education Act of 1996 made it an obligation on parents to require children
to have a full-time education from age 5 to 16. However, attendance at school
itself is not compulsory: Section 7 of the Act allows for home education.
The Education (Scotland) Act 1872 made elementary education compulsory
for the first time for all children aged between 5 and 13. The existing parish
and burgh schools were taken over by the state and managed by locally
elected School Boards.

Educational Laws in France

As compared to USA and UK, France was equally slow to introduce

compulsory education due to conflicts between the secular state and the
Catholic Church, and as a result between anti-clerical and Catholic political
parties. The first set of Jules Ferry Laws, passed in 1881, made primary
education free for girls and boys; communes and departments had the shared
responsibility to fund it. In 1882, the second set of Jules Ferry Laws made
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education compulsory for girls and boys until the age of 13. In 1936, the upper
age limit was raised to 14. In 1959, it was further extended to 16.

Why do people break laws?

1. Necessity/desperation : Some people literally steal (or commit other crimes)
so they can provide food, clothing, or shelter to themselves or their family.
Maybe they really have no other option, and maybe they just don't recognize
the other options.

2. Ignorance : Simply not knowing that they have broken a law as there are
way too many laws. However ignorance is not an excuse.

3. Greediness/Selfishness : the greed for money

4. Convenience : sometimes finding loopholes in the law is simply convenient.

Eg. Jay walking because pedestrian crossing is quite far away.

5. Psychological/Emotional Issues : some people get a rush from breaking

laws. Others find it a way to vent our their feelings on society

6. Vengeance : Personal harm caused to a person by breaking a law is

sometimes avenged by a consequent breaking of law

Most commonly committed crimes

➢ Theft

➢ Assault

➢ Traffic related (hit and run, drunk driving)

➢ Drugs
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➢ Murder

Local/National Perspectives
The National Assembly of Vietnam is responsible for making and passing laws. The
legal system practiced in Vietnam is based on communist legal theory and the French
civil law system. As a Socialist state, the country’s government has much control over
the media and organizations within the country. The Vietnamese government was able
to outlaw many religious organizations, touching on the freedom of belief and has been
criticize. As the country increasingly involved and joins into many international
organizations, it has been more sensitive to human rights abuses due to global
criticism. Vietnam is relatively safe with average crime rates. A few of the major crimes
include corruption, illegal drug use and digital piracy.

Since economic liberalization, corruption has risen sharply in Vietnam. In the

Transparency International’s corruption perception index for 2008, Vietnam’s corruption
rate ranked 121 out of 160. A cause for high corruption rate in Vietnam would be the
very low salaries of public officials. In 2006, the minimum salary for state employees is
still only 28 dollars per month after it has been raised by nearly 30 percent. It has
gotten so bad that after a corruption scandal in 2008, Japan, Vietnam’s biggest donor
in development assistance suspended its aid to Vietnam, saying that Vietnam must
take stronger measures in dealing with corruption. Corruption is a threat to investment
and aid and it is a big problem on Vietnam’s road of development. There have been
attempts in reducing this problem; an example of this is Vietnam has signed the
“United Nations Convention Against Corruption”, which would criminalize the acts of
Vietnamese officials paying bribes abroad or accepting bribes from foreign companies.

According to Business Software Alliance, the largest, and one of the most important of
IT groups in the software industry that exist, Vietnam had the worst rate of software
piracy in the world. A very large number of all kinds of software, movies and music are
pirated, meaning they are illegally duplicated or distributed. In 1998 the digital piracy
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rate of Vietnam ranked first at 98%, this means that for every 100 copies of software
application, 98 are illegal. In 2004, this number was 95%, and it is estimated that for
each legitimately bought package of software, 20 illegal copies are made on average. A
cause for this is many countries seldom make, let alone enforce laws to protect
intellectual property. It is understandable that piracy is thought of as a path to enter the
information and technology world with less expense, it actually hurts the country’s own
economy. As piracy spreads, software developers are deterred from entering the
market. Piracy, and the lack of laws to prevent piracy will not give a decent opportunity
for citizens of a country to establish a software industry, preventing the country to
become high-tech. In 2010, software piracy rate of Vietnam is 85 per cent. As result of
the big efforts of the government and business community to protect copyright,
despite still having a very high rate, through the years the percentage has gotten lower
and there is no doubt that there has been progress in reducing piracy.

Drug trafficking is present among Vietnam’s major crimes. It is estimated 200,000

Vietnamese, as young as 15-16 years old use opiate drugs, with 50,000 people using
heroin. About 75% of all identified drug users in Vietnam are under 23, according to
UN’s Drug Control Progamme. Most people with HIV, about two-thirds – are drug
users, and this virus is spread along with drugs. A cause for this is unemployment in
the country; much money is gained just for transporting drugs from one city to another.
The lack of money also keeps the government from being able to help drug addicts or
do very much. To deal with this major crime, the Vietnamese laws against drug
trafficking are some of the harshest and most severe in the world. In 2009 a number of
crimes have been removed from the list of crimes punishable by death, including rape
and bribery, but not drug trafficking. The possession or smuggling of a certain amount
of drug in Vietnam could result in the death penalty.

(https://www.ukessays.com/essays/criminology/law-and-criminality-global-internationa
l-perspectives-criminology-essay.php)

International perspective on crime and laws

https://www.cambridgescholars.com/resources/pdfs/978-1-4438-0198-0-sample.pdf
 18

Law in the Ancient World

The legal systems in place throughout the world have origins that date back to
ancient societies. Civil law has its foundation in ancient Roman law, and this
type of legal system is based on complying with enacted laws. Common law
originated with England's monarchy, and this type of legal system is based on
precedent. This means that previous cases and judicial opinions determine
how new cases are resolved. Studying ancient legal systems can help you
understand how and why current work the way they do.

Mesopotamia

King Hammurabi was the first king of Babylon, and he was the ruler who was
responsible for conquering Mesopotamia and creating the first Babylonian
Empire. Hammurabi was known for his fair laws and style of ruling. He wanted
his people to obey his laws out of respect, not out of fear. This ruler managed
his court by clearly outlining the laws so that all of the people knew them.
Hammurabi's laws are called the Code of Hammurabi. The Code of
Hammurabi includes a wide range of statutes covering everything from family
relationships to contracts to inheritances to crimes and punishments. For
example, violent crimes often had penalties that equaled the crime; if you cut
someone's hand off, for instance, you would have yours cut off, too. The king
enforced his laws by holding everyone accountable equally, without regard for
status or income. Every law had a clear punishment attached to it, and
penalties were carried out consistently.
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Ancient Greece

The judicial system in place in America has roots in the ancient Greek legal
system. In ancient Greece, there was no need for law school because lawyers
were not a part of the legal system. Instead of having a lawyer representing each
side in a case, people argued their cases. Some people with enough means may
have hired speechwriters to help them figure out what to say when arguing a
case. Ancient Greeks also did not use judges to decide verdicts. Instead, they
used large juries, sometimes with as many as 500 jurors. Cases were not drawn
out over days or weeks in ancient Greece: The Greeks monitored the
proceedings strictly with a timer to make sure that the parties presented their
positions and the jury gave its verdict by the end of one day.

Ancient Rome

Ancient Rome contributed significantly to the legal systems still in place in many
countries today. The foundation of Roman law was the Twelve Tablets, which
contained the established set of laws. Some laws included in the Twelve Tablets
include a requirement to appear in court if you are called upon, the punishment of
death for lying in court, and a prohibition against holding business or political
meetings at night. This system of Roman law was in place for more than 1,500
years. Emperor Justinian was responsible for creating the Code of Justinian,
which was a compilation of Roman laws that is the foundation of the civil law in
many modern countries.

Ancient China

China holds the top honor as the country with the longest continuous legal
history. Chinese law is influenced by ancient Confucian codes of conduct, which
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focus on people's individual responsibility to be virtuous without having the law

dictate their actions. The Xia Dynasty was the first of China's dynasties, but it
was not until many hundreds of years later that the ruler of the Qin Dynasty
established the first centralized feudal government. This type of government had
a single ruler, who maintained control with military force. Many dynasties followed
until 1911 when the final dynasty was overthrown. The Republic of China was
established at that time.

Weird laws around the world

1. Canadian Radio Stations Must Play Canadian Artists

2. It's Illegal to Run Out of Gas on the German Autobhan
3. It's Illegal to Feed Pigeons in Venice, Italy
4. No Selfies With Buddha in Sri Lanka
5. It's Illegal to Swear in the U.A.E.
6. It's Illegal to Dance in the Dark After Midnight in Japan
7. You Cannot Die Without a Pre-Purchased Burial Plot in Part of France

8. It's Illegal to Build a Sandcastle in Spain

9. Married Women Can Only Have One Glass of Wine in Bolivia

10. It's Illegal for Your Chicken to Cross the Road in Georgia

11. You Must Beat a Drum to Warn of Locusts in India

12. It's Illegal to Die Inside the Houses of Parliamet

What is a crime?
 21

an action or omission which constitutes an offence and is punishable by law.

World famous crimes

Stealing the Mona Lisa, 1911

She had been the chattel of French monarchs. Francois I

bought her. Louis XIV set her up in Versailles. Napoleon
moved her into his bedroom. She was Italian, created by
Leonardo da Vinci over four years labor in Florence, but
France was her home and there she stayed for four
centuries. Then on Aug. 20, 1911, the space she occupied on
the walls of the Louvre was discovered bare. The theft shook
France: the country's borders were closed, administrators at the museum were dismissed, enemies of
traditional art were suspected of evil intentions. (The avant-garde poet Guillaume Apollinaire was
arrested as a suspect; he implicated Pablo Picasso. Both were eventually dropped as possible
culprits). As the months went by, the fears grew that the Mona Lisa had been destroyed. Then the
Louvre received word from the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. The Italian officials said they had arrested a
man named Vincenzo Perugia, who had brought the Mona Lisa to a local antiques dealer in order to
sell it and restore it to Italy. (Perugia, who had single-handedly stolen the masterpiece, may or may
not have been part of a plot to inflate the prices of forged Mona Lisas; he had lost contact with his
co-conspirators and decided to sell the original wood panel painting himself.) On Jan. 4, 1914, the
painting was returned to the Louvre. Hailed as a patriot in Italy, Perugia, while found guilty, served
only a few months in jail. Patriotism is also a refuge for art thieves.

The Great Train Robbery, 1963

The 15 thieves who held up the Royal Mail train

between Glasgow and London on Aug. 8, 1963
netted 120 bags packed with the equivalent of
$7 million and were were treated like folk
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heroes by the press and public. Although the operation took all of 15 minutes, the caper was not as
smooth as people remember it. It wasn't non-violent, for one thing (the driver of the train was conked
in the head and never fully recovered from the trauma); nor was it as carefully executed (the thieves
left fingerprints everywhere). The case has lived on in memory because of the further adventures of
one of its minor players, Ronnie Biggs, whose escape from prison and long years of eluding justice
were constant fodder for the British tabs. Readers were fascinated that a small-time hood could end
up being part of the biggest heist in British history and be the only one to get away with it all. Biggs
eventually gave himself up in 2001, returning voluntarily from Brazil to serve the 28 years remaining
in his sentence. Despite pleas for leniency, Biggs, now 77, remains incarcerated and in failing health.

Columbine Massacre, 1999

School shootings were already a problem

before April 20, 1999. Dylan Klebold and Eric
Harris knew that theirs had to stand out. So
they planned to make every previous incident
look podunk, and they videotaped their boast
so the world would know what they had set out
to do. And so they turned Columbine High
School into an abattoir: murdering 12
schoolmates and a teacher, wounding 24 other
people and then, finally, killing themselves in a
drama seen live on television. It was not quite
the 250 they had hoped to kill, but it was
enough to make the incident the worst school shooting in American history. This sudden eruption of
violence in the middle of one of the most solidly upper middle class communities in America set off
months of soul searching. Parents and school officials discussed the prevalence of violent music and
video games; a similar concern arose over school sociology — bullies, outsiders and teen goth culture.
Parents asked: what are the warning signs that our children are turning out to be their own enemies?
On their tapes, Klebold and Harris talk about anger management but not the expected kind. Rather,
they were learning to ratchet up their anger and yet keep it secret from everyone else — until the day
they had to turn it on full blast
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The Black Dahlia, 1947

Set in the post-war Los Angeles

boom, the unsolved murder of
Elizabeth Short is a cautionary tale
about big cities, America's
peripatetic population and the
dangers of the new vast urban
landscapes of the nation. On Jan. 15,
1947, a severely mutilated, naked
body, sliced in half at the waist and a
grotesque grimace carved into her
face, was found not far from
Hollywood. The corpse was that of
22-year-old Short, who had moved to
California to from the East Coast to pursue an acting career but ended up serving tables. Reporters
gave her the nickname "Black Dahlia," perhaps inspired by the recently released Blue Dahlia, a film
in the Hollywood noir style about a fighter bomber accused of the death of his faithless wife. (Short
had been engaged to a major in U.S. Air Force but he died in a plane crash in August 1945.) The case
generated a huge list of potential suspects and possible motives, as well as urban legends about the
victim's sexual and moral proclivities. With its morbid air of noir nostalgia, the Black Dahlia has also
inspired a large number of novels and movies over the years.

The Theft of "The Scream," 2006

Perhaps no crime carried as much symbolic freight in the new

millennium as the theft of Edvard Munch's painting "The Scream"
from the museum bearing his name in Oslo, Norway, on Aug. 22,
2004. Munch had been a target before. Another version of "The
Scream" had been stolen just before the Winter Olympics of 1994 in
Lillehammer but had been recovered. This time, the theft was brazen.
Armed men walked into the museum and carted off Munch's
archetypal image of contemporary anxiety along with a ghostly masterwork, "Madonna." The two
paintings were virtually ripped off the walls. As much as a theft of art, it was an assault on the
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collective psyche of the world since "The Scream," as angst-ridden as it is, had become a beloved
symbol of nervousness, the communal expression of not-being-able-to-take-it-anymore. In time,
culprits were brought to ground and sent to prison. As people, they seem not to be interesting so
much as unforgivable. One theory is that the entire caper was planned to distract police resources
from the investigation of a bank robbery and fatal shooting of a guard. In any case, the thieves did not
care for the masterpieces they so roughtly stole. "The Scream," which was painted on cardboard not
canvas, has suffered irreparable water damage and flaking due to exposure to extremes of
temperature. "Madonna" too had a tear on its surface and had to be restored.

Lindbergh kidnapping, 1932

The Lindbergh kidnapping refers to the abduction of

Charles Lindbergh Jr., the 20-month-old son of aviator
Charles Lindbergh and Anne Morrow Lindbergh, which
occurred on March 1, 1932, in Hopewell, New Jersey, United
States. The case became known as the "crime of the
century." Despite a massive investigation, the child's body
was found two months later, and Bruno Hauptmann was
convicted of the crime and executed in 1936.

Zodiac killings 1968

The Zodiac killings occurred between the late 1960s
and early 1970s in Northern California, primarily in
the San Francisco Bay Area. The killer targeted
random victims, often couples parked in remote
areas, and sometimes lone individuals. The first
known attack attributed to the Zodiac took place in
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December 1968, when two teenagers were shot and one survived.

The most notorious aspect of the Zodiac case was the killer's communication with the media
and law enforcement. He sent a series of letters to newspapers, often accompanied by
cryptograms, or ciphers, challenging authorities to decipher them. Some of these ciphers were
eventually solved, but others remain unsolved to this day.

The Zodiac also made phone calls to police, providing details about his crimes and claiming
responsibility for additional murders. Despite intensive investigations by law enforcement
agencies, including the FBI, the identity of the Zodiac killer has never been definitively
determined.

The case generated widespread fear and fascination, leading to numerous theories and suspects
over the years. However, no one has been charged with the Zodiac killings, and the case remains
open in several jurisdictions. The Zodiac killer's ability to evade capture and his brazen taunting
of authorities have contributed to the enduring mystery and infamy of the case.

9 11, 2001

The 9/11 attacks, also known as September 11th or simply

9/11, were a series of coordinated terrorist attacks carried
out by the extremist group al-Qaeda against the United
States on September 11, 2001.

On that day, 19 terrorists hijacked four commercial airplanes. Two of the planes, American
Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, were flown into the North and South Towers,
respectively, of the World Trade Center complex in New York City. Within hours, both towers
collapsed, resulting in massive loss of life and catastrophic destruction of the surrounding area.
 26

A third plane, American Airlines Flight 77, was crashed into the Pentagon, the headquarters of
the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington, Virginia.

The fourth plane, United Airlines Flight 93, was initially aimed at a target in Washington, D.C.,
but passengers onboard fought back against the hijackers, and the plane ultimately crashed into
a field in rural Pennsylvania. Their heroic actions prevented further loss of life, but all
passengers and crew onboard were killed.

In total, nearly 3,000 people from more than 90 countries lost their lives in the attacks, making
it the deadliest terrorist act in world history and profoundly altering the course of global politics
and security measures.

The 9/11 attacks prompted significant changes in U.S. and international security policies,
including the implementation of the USA PATRIOT Act, the creation of the Department of
Homeland Security, and the initiation of the War on Terror, which included military operations
in Afghanistan and Iraq. The aftermath of 9/11 continues to shape discussions around
terrorism, security, and foreign policy worldwide.

Conclusion
Law refers to a system of rules and regulations established by a society or government to govern
behavior and maintain order within a community. Laws are created to uphold justice, protect
individual rights, and ensure the safety and well-being of society as a whole. These rules are
enforced by various institutions, such as police forces, courts, and correctional facilities.

Criminality, on the other hand, refers to behavior that violates these established laws. Criminal
acts can range from minor offenses like petty theft or vandalism to more serious crimes such as
murder, robbery, or fraud. Individuals who engage in criminal behavior are often referred to as
criminals, and their actions may result in legal consequences, including arrest, prosecution, and
potential incarceration.
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The study of criminality encompasses various fields, including criminology, which examines the
causes, patterns, and effects of crime, as well as criminal justice, which focuses on the processes
and institutions involved in the prevention, detection, and punishment of criminal behavior.
Overall, the concept of criminality is central to understanding and addressing issues related to
law enforcement, public safety, and social order.

As global citizens, it is important to follow laws for several reasons:

1. **Promotion of Peace and Order:** Laws provide a framework for peaceful

coexistence by establishing rules and standards of behavior. When individuals
follow laws, it helps maintain order within society and reduces the likelihood of
conflicts or disputes.

2. **Protection of Rights and Freedoms:** Laws are designed to protect the

rights and freedoms of individuals, ensuring that everyone is treated fairly and
equitably under the law. By adhering to laws, individuals can safeguard their
own rights while respecting the rights of others.

3. **Safety and Security:** Many laws are enacted to ensure the safety and
security of citizens. For example, traffic laws help prevent accidents and
 28

injuries on the roads, while criminal laws deter unlawful behavior and protect
communities from harm.

4. **Promotion of Justice:** Laws provide a mechanism for resolving disputes

and administering justice. By following legal procedures and respecting
judicial decisions, individuals contribute to the fair and impartial administration
of justice within society.

5. **Contribution to Social Cohesion:** Compliance with laws fosters a sense

of unity and cooperation among members of society. When everyone follows
the same set of rules, it promotes a shared sense of responsibility and mutual
respect, strengthening social cohesion and solidarity.

6. **Global Stability and Cooperation:** In an increasingly interconnected

world, adherence to international laws and agreements is essential for
promoting global stability and cooperation. By respecting treaties,
conventions, and other international legal frameworks, individuals contribute
to the maintenance of peace and cooperation among nations.

Overall, as global citizens, following laws is crucial for promoting a

harmonious, just, and orderly society, both at the local and international levels.
By respecting and upholding the rule of law, individuals can contribute to the
well-being and prosperity of communities worldwide.
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