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The Right to Defy Criminal Demands: Conclusion

A rough draft has been completed. The right to defy criminal demandsThis article was very interesting and so I thought that I would serialize it. As there are still many hours to work on it, I’d be interested in your reactions and recommendations. You can view all posts by clicking here.

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Criminals create risks for society—risks for their intended targets, and risks for bystanders. If victims resist criminal demands, they may become angry and may even resort to retaliation against the criminals.

However, the law shouldn’t be applied to criminals in order to make their demands. These demands must not be enforced. People should have the right to refuse, even if it creates additional danger.

All citizens are legally bound to follow the law. They shouldn’t be under any legal obligation to follow criminals. Kipling was writing about the limits of kings.

Ancient Right unnoticed as the breath we draw—
You can leave to live under the Law.

However, the same holds true for living with no criminal’s permission. Because criminals can demand legal effects, it undermines victims dignity. It also exposes people to democratically-endorsed coercion by the Law as well as the arbitrary tyranny and repression of the criminal. This also makes it difficult for the Law to claim the authority to use violence to determine behavior rules.