Law as an instrument for creating social change

Author: Rishav Ray, Student, School of law, Christ University Bangalore, India

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Abstract Law is the reflection of the society. It is often said that in order to understand any society, the laws of that society are needed to be studied. The society is dynamic in nature, it changes with time. These changes are often brought about by the enactment of laws, but this works the other way also, the changes in the society often cause changes in the present legal system. When the law changes society, it can be viewed as an approaching development in the society. When the reciprocal takes place, it can be seen as a sign of maturity of the society. The author has aimed to portray how from the very beginning of human civilization, laws have played a key role as the turning wheel of societal progress. It is a well-known theory of the Historical school that law develops like a language, so does the society. The paper shows how the relation between law and the society is interwoven and how one impacts the other. The author has discussed laws and societal norms from the time of hunter gathers till the present day. A special focus has been given to the Indian context of how law functions as an instrument of social change and a detailed discussion regarding the same has been carried out. The paper finally concludes with the discussion on why law plays a key role in bringing change to the society.

Keywords: Positive law, Gender discrimination, societal change, Constitution, evolution.

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