Law 12Inquiry Unit

Law and Morality-Ethics Exercise (Law in Action, Blair, p.33)

Most people consider it the first duty of a citizen not only to obey the law but also to uphold it. Sometimes, upholding a law may bring you into conflict with your conscience, a moral principle, your own self-interest, personal loyalties, values, or beliefs. Read the problems below with the following questions as your guideline

1. State the legal issue (if there is one) that underlies the situation.

2. State what you believe would be the ideal or moral thing to do.

3. Give the possible consequences of performing such an action.

4. Outline what you would do if faced with a similar situation.

PROBLEMS

a)While browsing through a department store, you see a woman stuff some articles of clothing inside her coat while she continues her regular shopping.

b)You are expecting a tax refund of $90 and are surprised to find a cheque made out to you for $9000.

c) Walking through a park, you observe a mother hitting a small child with her fists.

d) You are a bartender, and a woman who is obviously pregnant comes in and orders a vodka martini.

e)On the way out of the parking lot, while driving your dad's car, you accidentally back into another car, denting its fender. Your dad's car is not damaged.

f)You have been offered $10 000 if you would sell one of your kidneys to the parents of a child who is dying of kidney failure.

g)Your best friend, who is a computer whiz, has managed to break into the school computer and increase the marks you have both earned to apply to university. High marks will automatically guarantee you a place and a scholarship.

h)A law is passed that makes it a crime for anyone to speak out against the government and requires those who hear people doing so to report them to the authorities. Your father frequently speaks out against the government in your presence.

i)You are a lawyer, and your client has just instructed you to remove certain videotapes from the scene of a horrible crime. When you view the videotapes, you discover that they implicate not only your client, but also an accomplice who claimed that she did not participate in the crime. Failure to provide the Crown with the tapes may result in your being charged with "obstruction of justice." Turning over the tapes may violate your client's rights to absolute privilege, and you may be disbarred.