--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The law, unfortunately, has always been…" description: "\"The law, unfortunately, has always been retained on the side of power; laws have uniformly been enacted for the protection and perpetuation of power.\" ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e5/thomas-cooper-69939_law_the-law-unfortunately-has-always-been-re_30771.jpg" --- # The law, unfortunately, has always been retained on the… ![“The law, unfortunately, has always been retained on the side of power; laws have uniformly been enacted for the protection and perpetuation of power.” quote by Thomas Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e5/thomas-cooper-69939_law_the-law-unfortunately-has-always-been-re_30771.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e5/thomas-cooper-69939_law_the-law-unfortunately-has-always-been-re_30771.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e5/thomas-cooper-69939_law_the-law-unfortunately-has-always-been-re_30771.jpg) > “The law, unfortunately, has always been retained on the side of power; laws have uniformly been enacted for the protection and perpetuation of power.” Thomas Cooper ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Law often serves the interests of those who wield authority, preserving their dominance rather than ensuring universal justice. **In simple terms:** Law favors the powerful. Key Takeaway Legal systems can reinforce existing hierarchies. Themes Power dynamics Legal theory Social justice Political philosophy Institutional bias Mood Critical Reflective Skeptical Type Political Philosophical Historical When to use this quote - Analyzing historical legal reforms - Critiquing contemporary legislation - Designing equitable policies - Teaching political theory - Advocating for marginalized groups Key Concepts Authority Legitimacy Control Resistance Practical Applications - Legal reform advocacy - Policy impact assessment Questions to Reflect On - How can legal frameworks be restructured to limit power abuse? - What mechanisms ensure laws serve the public interest? A Different Perspective Some argue that law can also protect minorities when institutions are accountable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Laws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laws/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Protection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protection/) ## Related quotes > [The law is like apparel, which alters with the time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dodderidge/the-law-is-like-apparel-which-alters-with-the-time/) John Dodderidge > [“Countries, states, cities, corporations and laws are all words on paper.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/countries-states-cities-corporations-and-laws-are-all-words-on-paper/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [Very often the law of extremity demands an attention to irrelevance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-frame/very-often-the-law-of-extremity-demands-an-attention-to-irrelevance/) [Janet Frame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-frame/) > [The sanctity of law can be maintained only so long as it is the expression of the will of the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhagat-singh/the-sanctity-of-law-can-be-maintained-only-so-long-as-it-is-the/) [Bhagat Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhagat-singh/) > [The laws keep up their credit, not by being just, but because they are laws; 'tis the mystic foundation of their authority; they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/the-laws-keep-up-their-credit-not-by-being-just-but-because-they-are/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [It is quite wrong that one group of people should regularly and deliberately flout the law, boast about it and get away with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-widdecombe/it-is-quite-wrong-that-one-group-of-people-should-regularly-and/) [Ann Widdecombe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-widdecombe/) > [Governments regard their own citizens as their main enemy, and they have to be - protect themselves. 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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/) > [We are always saying: Let the Law take its Course but what we really mean is: Let the Law take OUR Course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/we-are-always-saying-let-the-law-take-its-course-but-what-we-really/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [“The laws of every country must be analogous to some common principle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/the-laws-of-every-country-must-be-analogous-to-some-common-principle/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [The law says you cannot touch, but I see a lot of lawbreakers up in this house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mcconaughey/the-law-says-you-cannot-touch-but-i-see-a-lot-of-lawbreakers-up-in/) [Matthew McConaughey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mcconaughey/) ## More by Thomas Cooper > [A garden is never so good as it will be next year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-cooper/a-garden-is-never-so-good-as-it-will-be-next-year/) Thomas Cooper > [Knowledge is a plant of slow growth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-cooper/knowledge-is-a-plant-of-slow-growth/) Thomas Cooper > [Every politician, every member of the clerical profession, ought to incur the reasonable suspicion of being an interested supporter of false doctrines, who becomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-cooper/every-politician-every-member-of-the-clerical-profession-ought-to/) Thomas Cooper Explore all 4 Thomas Cooper quotes ## More Law quotes > [ That country \[Carthage\] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws;… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinking-into-the-state-of-barbarism/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. 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