So, here's a new angle. What's the relationship between sustainability and the law?
Law, as the written exemplification of justice, is in place to provide a balancing force to society. A sort of newton's third law to society. The law is notoriously sluggish to change, needing to go through our bureaucratic process to shift. The necessity of that shift is ever-present too, as culture shifts so do the balancing needs of society shift.
I keenly remember a line from Star Trek: The Next Generation where Captain Picard says "There can be no justice as long as laws are absolute." In the reference to the episode this shows up in, Justice, Captain Picard is advocating to a technologically superior alien to spare the life of one of his crew for a minor infraction (trampling on the grass). Though the episode is more about cultural differences, it highlights a necessity of the law in regards to it's validity over time: That effect must match cause.
Interestingly, this caveat on law provides law with sustainability both in context of sustaining what it is, and sustaining the fact of it's existence. In addressing the latter, the law must always be about balance, equity and fairness. In addressing the former, the law must adapt and change in order for it to be about balance, equity and fairness, as society is constantly shifting.
It's an interesting perspective...
- Jason
