--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If the law does not do justice, the…" description: "\"“If the law does not do justice, the people will mock the law.”\" — Sheri S. Tepper" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24f/sheri-s-tepper-8133_justice_if-the-law-does-not-do-justice-the-peopl_203611.jpg" --- # If the law does not do justice, the people will mock the… ![“If the law does not do justice, the people will mock the law.” quote by Sheri S. Tepper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24f/sheri-s-tepper-8133_justice_if-the-law-does-not-do-justice-the-peopl_203611.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24f/sheri-s-tepper-8133_justice_if-the-law-does-not-do-justice-the-peopl_203611.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24f/sheri-s-tepper-8133_justice_if-the-law-does-not-do-justice-the-peopl_203611.jpg) > ““If the law does not do justice, the people will mock the law.”” [Sheri S. Tepper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-s-tepper/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Warns that unjust laws lose legitimacy when people ridicule them. **In simple terms:** Unjust laws are mocked and lose authority. Key Takeaway Seek fairness in law to maintain respect. Themes justice law public trust Mood critical thought‑provoking Type philosophical political When to use this quote - court rulings - public protests - policy debates - community meetings Key Concepts legitimacy social contract civil obedience Questions to Reflect On - When does mockery become rebellion? - How can laws regain trust? A Different Perspective People may still obey unjust laws out of fear. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Laws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laws/) ## Related quotes > [I'm not sensitive about my lisp, but a lot of people are, and it's not the type of trait people should mock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-cernovich/i-m-not-sensitive-about-my-lisp-but-a-lot-of-people-are-and-it-s-not/) [Mike Cernovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-cernovich/) > [What does justice look like for a survivor? It'll mean different things to different communities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarana-burke/what-does-justice-look-like-for-a-survivor-it-ll-mean-different/) [Tarana Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarana-burke/) > [Violence does even justice unjustly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/violence-does-even-justice-unjustly/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [Our country, if it does justice to itself, will be the workshop of liberty to the civilized world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/our-country-if-it-does-justice-to-itself-will-be-the-workshop-of/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [“Not sure that does it justice anymore...I worship, no, I live, because you make my heartbeat”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-e-hall/not-sure-that-does-it-justice-anymore-i-worship-no-i-live-because-you/) [S.E. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-e-hall/) > [The law is only one of several imperfect and more or less external ways of defending what is better in life against what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/the-law-is-only-one-of-several-imperfect-and-more-or-less-external/) [Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/) > [The study and practice of law ... does not dissolve the obligations of morality or of religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/the-study-and-practice-of-law-does-not-dissolve-the-obligations-of/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [The law can be an instrument of equalization only as it takes from some persons and gives to other persons. When the law does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-law-can-be-an-instrument-of-equalization-only-as-it-takes-from/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [The law does not expect a man to be prepared to defend every act of his life which may be suddenly and without notice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marshall/the-law-does-not-expect-a-man-to-be-prepared-to-defend-every-act-of/) [John Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marshall/) > [“If a law does not work even in one place where it ought to, it is just wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-feynman/if-a-law-does-not-work-even-in-one-place-where-it-ought-to-it-is-just/) [Richard Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-feynman/) > [Necessity gives the law and does not itself receive it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/publilius-syrus/necessity-gives-the-law-and-does-not-itself-receive-it/) [Publilius Syrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/publilius-syrus/) > [“Law does, "because God said so!"; Grace does because it understands the reason God said so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-r-silva/law-does-because-god-said-so-grace-does-because-it-understands-the/) [D.R. Silva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-r-silva/) > [It's a strange thing, we think that law brings order. Law doesn't. How do we know that law does not bring order? Look around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/it-s-a-strange-thing-we-think-that-law-brings-order-law-doesn-t-how/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [The law does not expressly permit suicide, and what it does not permit it forbids.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-law-does-not-expressly-permit-suicide-and-what-it-does-not-permit/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Modesty forbids what the law does not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/modesty-forbids-what-the-law-does-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Sheri S. Tepper > [“We're so old that the winds of age echo along our ribs and pick at our eye sockets. We could be gone tomorrow. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-s-tepper/we-re-so-old-that-the-winds-of-age-echo-along-our-ribs-and-pick-at/) [Sheri S. Tepper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-s-tepper/) > [Conflict acting on intelligence creates imagination. Faced with conflict, creatures are forced to imagine what will happen, where the next threat will come from.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-s-tepper/conflict-acting-on-intelligence-creates-imagination-faced-with/) [Sheri S. Tepper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-s-tepper/) > [“cultures define their gods when they’re young and primitive, when their main concern is survival. They endow their gods with survival characteristics like omnipotence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-s-tepper/cultures-define-their-gods-when-they-re-young-and-primitive-when/) [Sheri S. Tepper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-s-tepper/) > [Do you realize it’s been only a century that we’ve been able to go from house to car to office to car to wherever,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-s-tepper/do-you-realize-it-s-been-only-a-century-that-we-ve-been-able-to-go/) [Sheri S. Tepper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-s-tepper/) > [ \[T\]he scripture worshippers put the writings ahead of God. Instead of interpreting God's actions in nature, for example, they interpret nature in the light… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-s-tepper/t-he-scripture-worshippers-put-the-writings-ahead-of-god-instead-of/) [Sheri S. Tepper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-s-tepper/) > [“They will set aside what they have believed about the world, divesting themselves of all preconceptions, all judgments… They will do it, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-s-tepper/they-will-set-aside-what-they-have-believed-about-the-world-divesting/) [Sheri S. Tepper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-s-tepper/) > [“Faith healers. God-loves-you religions. State-supported lotteries. All that enormous energy expended to conquer nothing at all, stadia full of people watching no conquering going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-s-tepper/faith-healers-god-loves-you-religions-state-supported-lotteries-all/) [Sheri S. Tepper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-s-tepper/) > [The sooner we can separate salvageable skeptics from self-righteous absolutists, the sooner we can move along.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-s-tepper/the-sooner-we-can-separate-salvageable-skeptics-from-self-righteous/) [Sheri S. Tepper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-s-tepper/) > [There are writers who say they have no social responsibility except to write a good book, but that doesn't satisfy me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-s-tepper/there-are-writers-who-say-they-have-no-social-responsibility-except/) [Sheri S. Tepper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-s-tepper/) > [“Rich people didn't get in that kind of mess. They never had. Only the poor got trapped: by ignorance, by religion, by self-righteous laws…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-s-tepper/rich-people-didn-t-get-in-that-kind-of-mess-they-never-had-only-the/) [Sheri S. Tepper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-s-tepper/) > [The expression of divinity is in variety.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-s-tepper/the-expression-of-divinity-is-in-variety/) [Sheri S. Tepper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-s-tepper/) > [I will raise up prophets to make conflicting pronouncements that inevitably will be garbled in transcription, resulting in mutually exclusive definitions of orthodoxy from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-s-tepper/i-will-raise-up-prophets-to-make-conflicting-pronouncements-that/) [Sheri S. Tepper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-s-tepper/) > [Mankind accepts good fortune as his due, but when bad occurs, he thinks it was aimed at him, done to him, a hex, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-s-tepper/mankind-accepts-good-fortune-as-his-due-but-when-bad-occurs-he-thinks/) [Sheri S. Tepper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-s-tepper/) > [“He told us that nations of men fell into disorder, so nations of law were set up instead. He told us that nations of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-s-tepper/he-told-us-that-nations-of-men-fell-into-disorder-so-nations-of-law/) [Sheri S. Tepper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-s-tepper/) > [To me, fantasy has always been the genre of escape, science fiction the genre of ideas. So if you can escape and have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-s-tepper/to-me-fantasy-has-always-been-the-genre-of-escape-science-fiction-the/) [Sheri S. Tepper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-s-tepper/) [Explore all 80 Sheri S. Tepper quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-s-tepper/) ## More Justice quotes > [Never fight on the wrong side; you might win but the burden of guilt is more than a loss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilian-salan/never-fight-on-the-wrong-side-you-might-win-but-the-burden-of-guilt/) [Lilian Salan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilian-salan/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [“Crime and punishment can be summed up in two classifications: there are bad people and there are people who get into bad situations. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnnie-dent-jr/crime-and-punishment-can-be-summed-up-in-two-classifications-there/) [Johnnie Dent Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnnie-dent-jr/) > [In the battle for police reform, accountability and justice, Americans don't have to re-invent the wheel. We just have to revoke the thing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-johnson/in-the-battle-for-police-reform-accountability-and-justice-americans/) [Jason Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-johnson/) > [“Why do so many people do nothing? I think it’s because most of us look at the evils and injustice around us, and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/why-do-so-many-people-do-nothing-i-think-it-s-because-most-of-us-look/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [“The jailers, the Court, everyone in that building – it wasn’t about justice; it was about obedience and intimidation…about maintaining order. Fear accomplished that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-allan/the-jailers-the-court-everyone-in-that-building-it-wasn-t-about/) [Jay Allan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-allan/) > [Civilized nations are ones that simply can't endure wrongs or injustice except at home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-anderson/civilized-nations-are-ones-that-simply-can-t-endure-wrongs-or/) Joseph Anderson > [Time often serves to justify a deed which seems at first unjustifiable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-p-ryan/time-often-serves-to-justify-a-deed-which-seems-at-first-unjustifiable/) Donald P. Ryan > [This cold weather has set all the young Folks to providing Bedfellows. I have signed two or three Licences every Day \[as a Fairfax…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mason/this-cold-weather-has-set-all-the-young-folks-to-providing-bedfellows/) [George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mason/) > [May God bless each of us in our calls to serve. May our faith strengthen as we serve in righteousness, faithfully keeping the commandments.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-tom-perry/may-god-bless-each-of-us-in-our-calls-to-serve-may-our-faith/) [L. Tom Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-tom-perry/) > [At minimum, we must recognize that there are legitimate, unanswered questions about whether the Obama Justice Department involved themselves in a political project targeting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-meadows/at-minimum-we-must-recognize-that-there-are-legitimate-unanswered/) [Mark Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-meadows/) > [We need to incorporate that age-old concept of redemption into the work that we do in the criminal justice system in California.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamala-harris/we-need-to-incorporate-that-age-old-concept-of-redemption-into-the/) [Kamala Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamala-harris/) > [There is no freedom without justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-wiesenthal/there-is-no-freedom-without-justice/) [Simon Wiesenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-wiesenthal/) > [“The absence of judgment becomes a catalyst and an enabler for greater injustice. Contrary to popular thought, judgment is a GOOD thing when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-chace-gordon/the-absence-of-judgment-becomes-a-catalyst-and-an-enabler-for-greater/) [J. Chace Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-chace-gordon/) > [The function of the law is not to provide justice or to preserve freedom. The function of the law is to keep those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-spence/the-function-of-the-law-is-not-to-provide-justice-or-to-preserve/) [Gerry Spence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-spence/) [Browse all 13,527 Justice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If the law does not do justice, the people will mock the law.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sheri S. 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