Question

The basic purpose of the United States legal system is to ensure fairness in balancing individual and societal needs, while at the same time preventing excessive government power. Some people think balancing these interests has become too complicated and justice has been compromised. What do you think? Please explain your view, giving at least two examples that support it.

Answer 1

The United States legal system is flexible and ever evolving. These features ensures fairness in providing justice while balancing individual and societal needs, while controlling the power and interference of government. This is sometimes percieved as loopholes in the legal system by those who think the legal system is compromised. The flexibility and changes in existing laws are needed to make to the legal system a living legal that caters to needs of the society and individuals, to the utmost it serves its purpose of having discipline and regularity in the society while maintaining the justice. The two examples are:

1) The juvenile Justice system: When this legal system was established a hundred years ago, the youths or the juveniles had little rights as compared to their adult counterparts in keeping their stance and defend themselves, somehwere in its journey it became more punitive than restorative similar to that of adult (criminal) justice system. But, now this system has emerged as a legal system that focuses on corrections of the juveniles than calling them criminals, and helping them to lead a meaningful and purposeful life.

2) The existence of the three-tier legal system is to ensure justice and fairness to the people and the society, and preventing the power abuse of the government. This sometimes becomes too time taking procedure and becomes an issue of criticism by those who argue that the legal system is a compromise.