Law "” the set of rules that govern a society "” can be either an instrument of justice or an instrument of tyranny. It can either set men and women free, or it can bind them under an oppressive body of regulations, government oversight, and abusive police power.

Common sense dictates that when there are more rules to follow "” more regulations, ordinances, civil codes, criminal laws, and so forth "” then there are more things that a person has to remember if she wishes to be a law-abiding citizen. As the number of laws expands, the law itself becomes voluminous and arcane, difficult for the average person to understand. A person may not even know how many laws there are, or whether she might be accidentally breaking one. Lawyers come into the picture, acting as the high priests of good conduct, necessary intermediaries who can interpret the foreign language of law to the common man and woman.

It may seem counter-intuitive, but the simple fact is that the more laws, the less justice "” and the less freedom which exists in society.

Read the rest: http://www.demandmore.org/2006/11/27/one-law/