Obedience to the Law?

The notion of obedience to the law, which is essential to democracy, has been transformed over time for two reasons. The meaning of the norm has changed and, in developed societies, obedience is no longer considered as radical as in the past. As a result, there is a growing uncertainty about what is licit and what is not, and the long-term consequences are difficult to fathom. In this regard, the author focuses more specifically on a new phenomenon : “disobedience” to the law by the state institutions that are supposed to implement it, in particular at the executive level.