Natural Law, Consumer Rights - Assignment Example

Assignment al affiliation: Question Law refers to a system of regulations imposed through social s to oversee general human activities. In most cases, they come into being through legislations enacted by parliaments across the nations of the world, decrees by the executive, or when judges bind certain precedence. On the other hand, rights refer to social, ethical and legal principles of sovereignty and form essentially normative rules about what is expected of individuals or owed to them by a legal system. Rights generally apply to humans and thus the conception of human rights; although other creatures too have their fundamental rights of life and coexistence. Presently, theoretical, normative, and political challenges movements have enhanced human rights. People from different walks of life usually view human rights activism as individualistic ideologies and sometimes as simply liberal commitments of the movement itself. However, the existence and application of law seems to have sunk among societal values as they widely accept the provisions within the law. Sections of the people who do not accept the provisions of the law have no choice but to subscribe to what it dictates as it is the only way put of coexistence between the government and its citizens. Interestingly, all kinds of religions see value in the provisions of the rule of law, unlike rights which they view as being driven by individual pursuits. Perhaps it may be argued that the challenges facing the prosperity of human rights and the acknowledgment of rights itself are as a result of the laxity of the rule of law towards protection of human rights. In fact, by virtue of individuals accepting and upholding the law alone creates a platform for which human rights activism can flourish. Generally, laws need to be reasonable and acceptable to a greater part of the populace; not necessarily meaning that they are good laws but that they are normatively justifiable. Most legal systems including the Canadian system center on physical integrity rights or those that are easy to examine yet the relationship between the rule of law and human rights present a more difficult phenomenon to understand and explain, for instance, rights of smaller groups in the society. This strong link between law and rights id depicted in Canada’s Constitution Act of 1982 part 1 which guarantees the rights and freedoms of the people of Canada. The chapter “Canadian Chapter of Rights and Freedoms” provides for certain rights and freedoms as long as they are subject to the provisions and limits of the law with the capability of being justified demonstrably in a democratic and a free society. Therefore, the linkage between law and rights is undoubtedly undisputable as various actions by-laws cause a reaction to the human rights fraternity. Human rights, on the other hand, are demanded within the provisions of the law by always seeking legal systems support which is driven by laws. Notably, both of them are aimed at guiding humans in their day to day operations and maintain orderliness and respect in society. Actually, the rule of law is viewed as being integral to the realization of rights. Question 2 Natural law is depicted in social science as having to do with human nature and that people exist because of the will of God. It is generally conceived as doctrines about nature that are rationally unavoidable. Sharia law, on the other hand, refers to a set of laws from medieval Muslim states some of which are rooted in God’s Law, the Holy Quran and some manmade laws accredited to the Divine. The holy Quran actually states that men cannot have an option to a law, other than that which is manifest in the study of nature, planet, solar system, and the galaxy. During the time that Europe was going through resurgence and enlightenment, most catholic inhabitants chose to ignore the Muslim community. This became dominant across the West as they looked for other measures of intellectual development from the Greeks. In fact, Muslim civilization draws much credit from the philosophical works of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. The west completely denied the Muslim contributions to their civilizations until just lately. However, luckily enough Sharia law still managed to gain influence in the west and Arab nations with many of its teachings now being part of the people and also having an influence on the political systems of the west. Critically, with this in mind, it may be difficult to reconcile Sharia law with natural law as it is viewed as merely fixed and as a code of operations among the Islam religion. The west are so waxed into the provisions of the natural law that judges may occasionally be compelled to refer to them when delivering judgments an indication that the provisions of the natural law arise even from the interpretations of the written law. Non-Muslims usually have a problem with the provisions of the Sharia law for instance they have a problem discovering whether Islam condemns lying when the actual reality is that it does. This sis quoted in the Quran as “Allah guides not the profligate liar and that such liars may perish”. However, various traditional Islam teachings suggests that humans are permitted to lie as is evident in Muhammad ibin Ishaq’s proposal to kill a certain Jew where he is depicted as having asked God that they will have to lie. This statement clearly shows that Sharia law somehow sometimes permits lying among its followers. Both Western and Islam nations may make mutual commitments towards the realization of the accommodation of each other’s faiths as provided for by the natural law since creation is beyond the power of humans. Although as it stands it is deemed difficult but faith is drawn to the reasoning that all things are possible before God the creator. It is evident that the West categorically upholds the provisions of the natural law and believes in the utmost powers of a supernatural being while the Sharia law is depicted as having a few loopholes in its operations and thus not compatible. The Quran specifically draws morality from the physical, tangible and talks about freedom of the religion as compared to Christianity that subscribes efficiently to the natural law and the provisions in the bible. Therefore, there is a prodigious discrepancy between the way the west view and value the natural law and the manner in which Sharia law dictates the same. Question 3 Consumer rights are achieved through various consumer movements across the world. Consumer movement refers to efforts aimed at promoting consumer protection by adopting an organized social movement often led by consumer organizations. The efforts advocate consumer rights particularly when such rights are infringed by events of government and other organizations tasked with the responsibility of providing goods and services to consumers. March 1960 was the year in which the first ever International Conference was held in The Hague by consumer organizations. A representation of seventeen organizations showed up, five of whom signed agreements to form the International Organization of Consumers Union (IOCU). This became the conception of the global consumer movement which was followed by increasing number of consumer goods across Europe and North America. Several consumer organizations began sprawling with the aim of analyzing the products, providing independent consumerism advice and challenging scoundrel traders whose main objectives was to exploit consumers. Specifically, North America went ahead in their endeavor to protect consumer rights by establishing The Consumer Federation of America in 1968.This is a nonprofit consumer organization with the objective of advancing the consumer interests through education, research, and advocacy. Through research, it investigates consumer behaviors, issues and attitudes through surveys, reports and focused group discussions of which its findings are published reports that enlighten the consumers. Through advocacy, it operates in a manner that advances consumerism policies before the Congress. Through education, it disseminates relevant information on consumer matters to mass media and the public. In the US and Canada state and local agencies form essential components of consumer security systems. They act at the grassroots while providing consumers with knowledge concerning their rights and responsibilities. The agencies have become more pronounced especially since they often respond the first during hazards like floods, hurricanes, blizzards and fires. The existence of these agencies has been met with various successes especially in actions and initiatives regarding enforcements. These includes the introduction of new websites that enable them reach consumers more, providing educational information, coming up with new laws and regulations and introducing more improved internal systems. North America experienced a series of advocacy programs which later began focusing on international trade negotiations especially with the newly formed created World Trade Organization (WTO). During this era international standards evolved and formed the reference points for disputes on artificial trade barriers. In the years following 1990s, IOCU achieved widespread capacity building in almost all parts of the world with a membership increasing from 115 to 250 countries. This endeavor by the North Americans meant that the idea of consumer moment and rights protection had now become a global agenda. A series of similar campaigns followed in Central and Eastern Europe and partly in Africa to educate consumers on their rights and to curb elements of exploitation that were eminent among rogue producers and suppliers. Notably, consumer protection was nearly developed from scratch in some of the new countries that were struggling with democracy and switch to market economies couple with the demands and preparations for joining the European Union. Read More