Is a law still a good law if nobody actually follows it?

This depends on how we define the concept of "law", which academic scholars have been at war over for decades. Some people take what's called a teleological point of view, where the procedure that goes into actually making a law (e.g. Parliament, Royal Assent, precedent) is what makes it a "law" in the first place. Some go beyond that to say that this is redundant if it's not effective - this is what we call consequentialist. There is no wrong or right answer to this question, but variations of it are very popular in Oxbridge interviews because it demonstrates how an applicant thinks about the role of the law in society - whether it's merely formalistic or whether it actually has to achieve a purpose to be good law.

SS
Answered by Srishti S. Oxbridge Preparation tutor

1971 Views

See similar Oxbridge Preparation Mentoring tutors

Related Oxbridge Preparation Mentoring answers

All answers ▸

How many baths of paint does it take to cover 10km of road markings?


How did you find the whole medicine interview experience at Oxford?


What is an Oxbridge interviewer looking for?


What is the most important thing to bear in mind when approaching the entry exams or the interviews?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning