Everything that is legal is directly related to procedures, equipment, practices, languages, cultures and other concepts related to the state law system. Being ethical is entirely the decision of the individual. Ethical actions or behaviors are based on people`s principles and values. It`s more about being right or wrong in terms of character. Legal proceedings or actions include the ideas of the government before they are promulgated or completed. For example, if someone wants to buy a property, they have to buy it legally. The term “legal” here refers to paperwork. It is important to make a paper trail when buying a property. In addition, legal and ethical standards aim to improve the quality of life of all members of society and to ensure that they live together peacefully, without the threat of terrorism or criminal activities.
Legal and ethical standards are based on laws and ideas that everyone in a given society understands. For example, if someone lives in the United States, they will become familiar with the country`s legal system and get a feel for how the American way of life works. Legal norms are standards set out in state laws. All laws to which lawyers refer are legal norms. If you drive through a big city downtown, you`ll notice parking signs everywhere telling you that you can`t park there for a long time, and they`ll quote a city law or code. This shows a legal standard. Legal conduct follows the requirements of laws that are written and interpreted by the courts. In decision-making, the determination of the legality of a course of action is facilitated by the existence of laws, regulations and codes. Contrary to ethical considerations, there are fixed penalties for illegal behavior. However, as society evolves, so does what constitutes legal behaviour. For example, until recently, possession or use of marijuana was illegal in the state of Colorado. As a result of the legislation that legalized marijuana, existing laws must be reinterpreted, and there is no doubt that other laws will be enacted to regulate formerly illegal conduct.
Regardless of whether a person considers it ethical to use a potentially harmful substance, it is a fact that the law now allows such behavior. Because of their shared focus on right and wrong, preventing immoral behavior and formulating standards for specialized professions such as doctors and social workers, ethics and law are inextricably linked. Nevertheless, ethics and law are different fields, and a person`s ethical responsibilities often outweigh their legal responsibilities. The two terms are related, because if a person does something legally, then it`s ethical. Ethics is taught in abstract form, while legal issues have a written form. Ethically and legally have different meanings, although they both aim to ensure that people live well. Ethical means carrying the value of distinguishing good from bad behavior, while legal means acting in accordance with the law. In this discussion, students will critically reflect on the differences and similarities between legal and ethical norms. Use these questions to stimulate in-depth discussion and reflection on these concepts. Related forms of “legal” include a number of other adjectives such as post legal, pre-legal, pseudo-legal, quasi-legal, and as an adverb – legal. “Legal” as a name is also observed in the word “paralegal” and as a designation for people who are presented as legitimate or sanctioned by the implementation of a certain set of rules. To determine what constitutes a legal act or an ethical act, the bases are also different.
A legal act is an act that fulfills the conditions of the rules and regulations of a specific, but massive and collective entity, such as a company or a country. Ethical actions, on the other hand, correspond to the principles or justifications of a specific individual or small organization. Another difference is that legal norms are written by government leaders, while ethical standards are written according to societal norms. For example, in the United States, standing in line is the social norm. A person would be breaking an ethical norm by cutting the line. However, this is not the case in another country. The social norm in this country might be that whoever can reach the door first can walk through the door first. In such a society, it is perfectly ethical to stand in line to reach the door first. Ethics is a set of norms that govern the behavior of a person, especially a professional. While ethical beliefs are held by individuals, they can also be reflected in the values, practices, and policies that influence decisions made by decision-makers on behalf of their organizations. Professions and organizations regularly develop a “Code of Ethics” to guide the behaviour of members of the profession or organization. In the medical profession, for example, physicians take an ethical oath to “do no harm.” The American Society of Mechanical Engineers Code states that “engineers shall give priority to the safety, health and welfare of the public in the performance of their professional duties.” The definition of legal standards is a law, rule, regulation, code, administrative order, court order, court order, court order, court of appeal order, court of appeal judgment, authoritative judgment, government decision or legally binding agreement with a relevant government.
In the financial field, they should ensure credibility and transparency in accordance with established standards of conduct. Such regulations were introduced by regulators after taking into account all the consequences that the new laws will have for society. As you will see in the rest of this module, there is often a complex interplay of ethical and legal considerations when companies try to do “the right thing” – by law, through their shareholders, employees, customers and other stakeholders. Today, many questions are raised and questioned in terms of legal or ethical aspects. The curious relationship between the two is evident in the fact that the basic word or the concepts of law and ethics have the same type of relationship. Many existing laws have their origins in ethics, while ethics in turn is rooted in morality and the perception of right or wrong of an action or behavior. Another difference between the two concepts is that they don`t necessarily always go hand in hand. There are cases when legal acts can be unethical, and there are also times when an ethical act is considered illegal. It all depends on the applicable laws and people`s perceptions inside and outside the law.
On the other hand, “ethical” is also an adjective as well as a noun and is used in conjunction with the word “ethics”. The word comes from the Middle English “etik”, which in turn comes from the Latin “eticus” and the earlier Greek “ethikos”. It was officially created as a word in 1588. “Ethics” also derived terms in the form of other parts of language. Nouns include “ethical” and “ethical,” while an adverb appears in the word “ethics.” “Legal” and “ethical” are often used in the same sentence. Although there is a relationship between the two, the concepts are not interchangeable. They often collide and work with each other. The terms “legal” and “ethical” are often used in the same context in relation to social problems and situations; Both words can be applied in almost any situation, private or public, even in the field of professions. Legal standards are enforced by a government agency, while ethical standards are usually enforced by human principles that include good and bad behavior. Thus, legal norms, unlike ethical norms, are punished in case of violation.
Apart from the nature of the two concepts, there is also a difference in how they are applied. Every legal act applies to all persons in a society that applies a certain set of laws. On the other hand, any ethical part is considered a voluntary and personal act of an individual, based on that individual`s perceptions or position on right and wrong. For example, New York State`s tenant laws do not set a cap on the amount of security deposit a landlord can charge. In Kansas and West Virginia, the deposit cannot exceed one month`s rent. In Maryland and Iowa, the deposit cannot exceed two months` rent. California allows a security deposit of two months` rent for unfurnished units and three months` rent for furnished units. Since the average rent for an apartment in San Francisco reached $3,027 in 2017 and there is no local law regulating the deposit amount, it would be legal for a landlord to charge a deposit of more than $6,000 for an unfurnished apartment and more than $9,000 for a furnished apartment. Immoral? Tenants who think this way should look for another apartment.
However, what is ethical and what is not can be interpreted differently by different people. Every state has some sort of landlord tenancy law that protects both the landlord and the tenant. However, laws differ somewhat from state to state, so landlords and tenants need to know their rights under their state laws and should also check local laws. As this example shows, people take positions and make decisions in different settings, and these frameworks, although they overlap, are not always perfectly aligned. The legal framework establishes laws that govern behaviour, while the ethical framework contains a set of norms and rules that govern the behaviour of individuals within groups or professions. Sometimes people are so outraged by what they perceive to be unethical practices that they push for the creation of laws that prevent such actions.